Trends in prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Objective: To determine longitudinal patterns and predictors for the utilization of bone mass measurements and anti-osteoporotic medications in the prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Methods: Within a managed care population of 7 million persons, we identified 3,125 adult men and women who had initiated longterm glucocorticoid therapy (>or=7.5 mg/day of prednisone equivalent for > 6 mo).

Oral glucocorticoid use is associated with an increased risk of fracture.

Oral glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used and despite their adverse effects on bone mineral density, the risk of sustaining osteoporotic fractures is not well addressed. The objective of this retrospective, cohort study was to assess fracture risk in patients exposed to oral GCs. Patients from an administrative claims database who were prescribed oral GCs and were enrolled 1 year before and 1 year after the initial oral GC claim were matched with a comparison population on age, sex, and date of first claim.