Osteoporosis Health Center

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If you take corticosteroids longer than 6 months for asthma or other conditions, you may be at greater risk for steroid-induced osteoporosis. If you begin to have bone loss, you may need to take osteoporosis medicines, such as bisphosphonates, while you are taking steroids.

In some cases, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is given to women to slow bone loss from osteoporosis. But hormone therapy can also increase the risk of other conditions, including stroke and breast cancer. Many experts recommend that long-term hormone replacement therapy only be considered for women with a significant risk of osteoporosis that outweighs the risks of taking HRT or ERT.

Ongoing treatment

After you have been diagnosed with bone loss, whether it is mild or severe, you will need to have regular follow-up tests to monitor the disease. Osteoporosis is a progressive disease: both men and women lose a little bit of bone each year after age 30.⁸ It is never too late to build and then maintain healthy habits that can slow the progression of the disease.

• Eat a nutritious diet and be sure you are getting adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Both are needed for building healthy, strong bones.

Osteoporosis: Taking Calcium and Vitamin D

• Get regular exercise. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or lifting weights, keep bones healthy by working the muscles and bones against gravity.

When you have osteoporosis, it is especially important to protect yourself from falling. When bones lose mass and become more brittle, they lose strength and break more easily. Women of European and Asian ancestry are more likely to have osteoporosis than those with African ancestry. To reduce your chances of breaking bones, take steps to prevent falls, such as having your vision and hearing checked regularly and wearing slippers or shoes with a nonskid sole. Exercises that improve balance and coordination, such as tai chi, can also reduce your risk of falling.

If your tests show continuing bone loss, your doctor likely will recommend that you take medicine to increase bone density and decrease your risk of spine and hip fractures. These medicines include bisphosphonates, such as risedronate (Actonel) or alendronate (Fosamax). It's important to get enough calcium and vitamin D and take prescribed medicines for osteoporosis. For more information about taking bisphosphonates, see:

Osteoporosis: Should I Take Bisphosphonate Medicines?

Calcitonin may be prescribed for women who are more than 5 years beyond menopause and who cannot take bisphosphonate medicines, or for men who are not receiving testosterone treatment.

Raloxifene (Evista) may be prescribed for women, especially if you are 55 to 65 years old. Raloxifene can cause hot flashes. So it is not often used in early menopause (45 to 55 years) when hot flashes are frequent.