Clinical Practice Guideline: The Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis is a common disease that affects approximately 6 million people in Germany alone. Osteoporotic fractures impair the quality of life and may make independent living impossible. Recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis are indispensable for the effective care of this large group of patients.

METHODS

For a thorough updating of the German clinical practice guideline (an evidence-based guideline with recommendations for clinical practice) on osteoporosis, a comprehensive, systematic search for relevant publications was carried out, including guidelines from other countries. The retrieved literature was assessed with standardized (Oxford) criteria, and clinically relevant key questions were answered according to the PICO scheme ("population, intervention, comparison, outcomes").

RESULTS

The assessment of clinical risk factors for osteoporosis is the basis of osteoporosis diagnostics, which should be carried out quickly after a fracture. If risk factors are present in a postmenopausal woman or a man aged 50 or above, bone densitometry testing with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is recommended. The further diagnostic evaluation should proceed in stepwise fashion depending on the clinical symptoms, the fracture status, and the degree of bone density reduction. Pharmacotherapy should be adapted to the fracture risk. Osteoanabolic treatment is recommended with high priority if the patient is judged to have a very high risk of fracture (10% or more in the next three years). The further course and duration of treatment should be determined individually, depending on the evolution of the patient's clinical state.

CONCLUSION

Prerequisites for the optimal treatment of patients with osteoporosis include a correct diagnosis and interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration to determine and provide the proper treatment. 71% of persons with osteoporosis in Germany are still untreated, and this gap must be closed.