[Prevalence of steroid osteoporosis].

Mechanical of the bone strength decreases in both primary and steroid-induced osteoporosis. However, pathophysiology of steroid osteoporosis is different from that of primary osteoporosis, characterized by negative bone metabolic balance which is caused by both increased bone resorption and decreased bone formation. Steroid-induced osteoporosis has many clinical characteristics such as early onset after initiation of dosing, higher fracture incidence with higher bone mineral density and that most of the underlying diseases also cause osteoporosis, suggesting that steroid osteoporosis should be properly controlled from the beginning of steroid treatment.