In a recent online publication dated June 24th, a study has quoted in British Medical Journal that monitoring bone mineral density  in postmenopausal women in the first 3 years after starting treatment with a potent bisphosphonate is not needed and may even be misleading. Bisphosphnates are very commonly prescribed for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

It is further reported that there is a difference in guidelines for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The US National Osteoporosis Foundation and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommend routine monitoring of bone mineral density within two years of starting treatment. The UK guidelines recommend that further research is needed and the North American guidelines recommend that treatment should not be stopped or changed because of a modest observed loss in density. [Read more...]