Via practica 6/2010

Importance of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in osteoporosis treatment - a multicentre prospective study

Osteoporosis is a frequent disease, mainly in older peoples. According to the health, economic and social consequences adequate attention should be paid to the prevention and therapy of osteoporosis. A basic principle of prevention and also therapy in osteoporosis is supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. Aim: Authors present results of 3month prospective, multicentre study, in which they compare tolerability and safety of 2 basic medicaments used for supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. Design and participants: 59 patients were divided in two subgroups according the used medicament, Caltrate Plus (n=28) versus Osteogenon (n=31). At initiation visit was measured densitometry of the patient and included were patients with T-score between -2 to -2,5 SD. Blood test with bone turnover markers was also performed. Tolerability, taste and adverse events were analyzed per standardised answer sheets. Results: Tolerability of Caltrate Plus was very good and good in 97%. Medicament Osteogenon was in 71% good tolerated, and about 30% patients answered that the medicament is bad tolerated. Adverse events were frequent in subgroup of Osteogenon (64,5%) in comparison to medicament Caltrate Plus (21,4%). Caltrate Plus described better taste from patients. In biochemical parameters there was only a decrease of parathormone and vitamin D, but these results like changes in others biochemical results were not significant. Conclusion: Every antiosteoporotic treatment is effective only in combination with calcium and vitamin D supplements. According the results of our study Caltrate Plus is a safe and good tolerated medicament for supplementation of calcium and vitamin D.

Keywords: osteoporosis, supplementation of calcium and vitamin D, tolerability of treatment, adherence to treatment