ALFACALCIDOL (ALPHA-D-3) AND CALCIUM IN OSTEOPOROSIS

In a prospective, randomized study, 66 osteoporotic postmenopausal wom en (mean age, 67 years) were scheduled to receive either alfacalcidol 0.25 mu g twice daily together with calcium 500 mg twice daily (treatm ent group, n = 24) or placebo twice daily with calcium 500 mg twice da ily (control group, n = 42) for three years. In the treatment group, b one mineral content at the distal radius may have increased by 2% comp ared to a significant decrease of 7.8% in the control group. The diffe rence between the two groups was also significant. Since the dose of a lfacalcidol and calcium remained unadjusted, frequent hypercalciuria, as well as occasional mild, transient elevations of serum calcium, wer e observed in the treatment group. No changes in serum creatinine leve ls or creatinine clearance throughout the study were observed. The two groups did not differ with respect to the frequency of clinical side effects, which were mainly gastrointestinal and probably related to th e calcium supplementation. Alfacalcidol and calcium may prevent furthe r bone loss in women suffering from postmenopausal osteoporosis.