The ultra long-term treatment of senile osteoporosis with 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3.

We have attempted to examine the effects of long-term treatment with 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 (1 alpha-OHD3; 0.5-1.0 microgram/day) on bone and chemical parameters in osteoporosis, retrospectively. Twenty-six pairs of age-, period of observation- and initial bone mineral density-matched patients with or without treatment were selected from 86 patients with osteoporosis. An 11% decrease (-2.2%/year) and a 6% increase in radial mineral density at the peripheral cortical bone site was observed in the control and the treated group after 5 years, respectively (P < 0.05-0.01). There were no patients who showed hypercalcemia nor an abnormally high blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level in both groups. These results indicate that 1 alpha-OHD3 treatment in osteoporosis is effective and has no serious adverse effects. Although the facts were obtained from observations only at the peripheral cortical bone site, 1 alpha-OHD3 treatment may be considered as a potential mode of therapy for osteoporosis.