New from PubMed:

Researchers at the Tuen Mun Hospital in Hong Kong studied the effect of risedronate on improving spinal bone mineral density (BMD) and reducing loss of BMD at the hips in patients taking high-dose glucocorticoids. Risedronate is in the bisphosphanate class of drugs, proven effective at reducing BMD loss in patients using low-dose glucocorticoids. The 6-month study randomized 120 adult patients taking high-dose prednisolone into a 5 mg daily risedronate group and a placebo group. Both groups received 1000 mg of elemental calcium each day. At the end of 6 months, the risedronate group had experienced a significant gain in spinal BMD, however, the placebo group exhibited a loss in spinal BMD. Patients in both groups had decreased hip BMD, but the loss was greater in the placebo group. Researchers concluded that risedronate is effective in improving spinal BMD in patients taking high-dose glucocorticoids.

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