The use of corticosteroids increases the risk of developing osteoporosis, a major public health problem affecting one in two women and one in eight men over the age of 50 in America today.
Osteoporosis is a serious and common complication of corticosteroid therapy at any age.
Anyone about to go on corticosteroids, or anyone who has been on them, should have a bone density test. These studies offer new hope to people who must use these medications and we look forward to FDA consideration of bisphosphonates for this indication. Osteoporosis is a preventable and treatable disease that causes bones to thin and weaken, leaving people susceptible to fractures. Anyone at risk for osteoporosis, including people who must take corticosteroids, should ask their doctor about a bone density test, a painless test to detect bone loss and diagnose osteoporosis. Some other osteoporosis risk factors include being female, being menopausal or postmenopausal, having a family history of osteoporosis, a personal history of fractures, a thin or small build, and being Caucasian or Asian.