Background
: Although fluoride has an ability to increase BMD at lumbar spine, it does not result in a reduction in vertebral fractures. After the introduction of monofluorophosphate instead of NaF, there is a revival of the use of fluoride in the treatment of osteoporosis.
Methods
: We evaluated 39 subjects out of the 50 who finished a 1-year treatment. Fifty postmenopausal Korean women with decreased bone density were enrolled from Oct. 2000 to Mar. 2001 and stratified 2-groups by treatment regimen. One group was treated with Fluocalcic± (Disodium monofluorophosphate; 100 mg and calcium carbonate; 1,250 mg) and HRT, the other group with HRT only at climacteric clinic in Samsung Cheil Hospital & Women's Healthcare Center. Markers of bone turnover, changes of BMD and demographic data were obtained and compared in both groups.
Results
: Compared with the baseline value, osteocalcin and total alkaline phosphatase, the formation markers of bone turnover were not decreased significantly after 3-month treatment in HRT and fluoride treated group. But, DPYD, the resorption marker, was decreased slightly after the 3-months treatment. Changes of both resorption and formation markers of bone turnover in HRT only treated group were significantly decreased after the treatment. The spinal BMD increased significantly compared to the baseline value in both groups. Changes of spinal BMD after 1-year treatment in HRT and fluoride treated group was increased significantly than HRT only group (15.1±12.6% vs 4.2±3.4%).
Conclusion
: This study shows that changes of spinal BMD after combined treatment with HRT and fluoride were increased significantly than HRT only treatment. Therefore, combined use of Fluoride and HRT was effective to increase spinal BMD in postmenopausal women with decreased spinal BMD.

Background
: Alendronate is on of the anti-resorptive drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis and results in a decrease of bone turnover. HRT is also known to decrease the bone turnover. Combination therapy with HRT and alendronate has made significant increase of BMD in postmenopausal women. But there were no available long-term results about combination therapy of HRT and alendronate on Korean osteoporotic women.

Methods : Eighty postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who visited the Climacteric Clinic in Samsung Cheil Hospital & Women's Health Care Center from April to July 1999 were subjects. Randomized open labeled case control study was made. We evaluated 37 postmenopausal osteoporotic Korean women who were treated for 2 years after enrollment. Subjects in Group I were treated with HRT only and group II had HRT with alendronate 10 mg daily. Subjects also were measured BMD at lumbar spine and makers of bone turnover before, one and two year after treatment.

Results : Common reasons for dropouts were side effects of HRT such as breast tenderness, irregular vaginal bleeding, economic problems, long distance from clinic etc. BMD in lumbar spine was increased 10.1% in the first year, and 12.0% in the second year in subjects treated with HRT and alendronate. But in HRT only group BMD increased to 6.4% in the first year and 7.8% at second year. Markers of bone turnover were decreased significantly in both groups compared with baseline value, but the percent changes of markers after 1 year and 2 years between the two groups were not significant.

Conclusion : This study demonstrated that, in postmenopausal Korean women with osteoporosis, 2 years of combination therapy with HRT and alendronate resulted in a significant and sustained increase in spinal BMD than HRT and alendronate resulted in a significant and sustained increase in spinal BMD than HRT only group.

Background
: In general, increased body weight may be a risk factor for hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and coronary heart disease. It is very difficult to lose weight especially in aged people. Osteoporosis is commonly developed in aged. Many reports revealed that obesity may prevent bone loss. The protective effect of obesity on bone has been ascribed to a high body fat content. Obese aged people can be very confused whether to decide to lose weight or not.

Methods : We evaluated 137 women aged over 60 who visited a health care center of a university hospital in Seoul from Jan.1999 to Oct. 1999 to determine the effects of obesity on bone mineral density in aged Korean women. We measured anthropometrical charactersitics, BMD of lumbar spine, markers of bone turnover, and FSH of the subjects.

Results : The results revealed that obese group had a greater BMD at lumbar spine, but the levels of FSH were noted to be lower than the non-obese group. But, none of the markers of bone turnover showed significant differences between the two groups. BMI was positively correlated with BMD (r=0.455, P<0.001) by Pearson's correlation matrix. Also, the level of total alkaline phosphatase significantly had negative association with BMD. The level of FSH revealed that it had a negative correlation (r=-0.290, P<0.01) with BMI.

Conclusion : We concluded that obesity might have a protective effect related with FSH. Prospective studies on endocrinologic association with BMD, bone markers, FSH and estradiol will be needed.

Background
: Increased bone turnover results in bone loss after menopause. After menopause, the major cause of bone loss is estrogen deficiency. Rate of bone loss seems to increase after menopause and then formation coupled with resorption is also increased. Antiresorptive drugs are known to be helpful in preventing bone loss. Alendronate is one of antiresorptive drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis which results in a decrease in bone turnover. Some papers report about nonresponders to antiresorptive drugs, and screening people early is very important to optimal management. There are no available data of Korean people. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of alendronate in Korean postmenopausal osteoporosis patients after 3 months of treatment.

Methods : We studied 96 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (bone mineral density{BMD} T score<2.5) who visited Climacteric Clinic in Samsung Cheil Hospital from Jan. 1999 to Jul. 1999. Subjects were stratified in to 3 group: Group 1 treated with alendronate (Fosamax ; MSD, Rahyway, NJ, USA) 10mg/day and estrogen, Group 2 treated with calcitonin nasal spray 100 IU every other day and estrogen, and Group 3 treated with estrogen alone for 3 months. We measured serum marker of bone formation (osteocalcin [BGP]), and marker of bone resorption (deoxypyridinoline [DPYD] from urine at baseline and 3 months after treatment.

Results : The mean difference in change of markers among the three groups at the end of study that were significant were BGP 25.7±4.8% and DPYD 23.3±2.3%. DPYD known as bone resorption marker showed a significant response in alendronate and estrogen therapy group than estrogen alone group (P<0.05). Also, BGP showed response to estrogen alone, and calcitonin and estrogen group, but its responsiveness was lesser than alendronate therapy.

Conclusion : Our data showed that using alendronate with estrogen in patients of osteoporosis further prevents bone resorption. Therefore, we conclude that alendronate therapy with estrogen is helpful managing osteoporosis patients.

Background
: To predict the therapeutic efficacy of osteoporosis, one or two years is needed to evaluate the therapeutic effect by the measurement of bone mineral density(BMD), whereas three to six months is sufficient with bone markers. Using this information, we can change therapeutic plan or modulate drug dosage if necessary. This approach would provide appropriate therapy for osteoporosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between the percentage change of BMD which was measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography(pQCT), and bone markers after 1 year of hormone replacement therapy(HRT) in healthy postmenopausal women.

Methods : Bone mineral density of nondominant distal forearm in 89 postmenopausal women was measured by pQCT. We measured serum alkaline phosphatase(ALP) and intact osteocalcin(iOC, Novocalcin™) as bone formation markers, urinary deoxypyridinoline(dPyr, PyriLinks-D™) as bone resorption marker by using enzyme immunoassay. After 1 year of HRT, 54 subjects dropped out and 33 subjects were reevaluated.

Results : After 1 year of HRT, the dropout rate was 61%. There was no significant difference in age, age of menopause, years since menopause, initial BMD, initial bone markers between remained and drop-out groups. But osteocalcin level was significantly high in remained group(p=0.02). ALP(-27.6%), iOC(-29.9%), dPyr(-25.2%) were significantly decreased after 1 year of HRT(p<0.001). Trabecular BMD was increased by 2.4%(p=0.003), but the percentage change of total and cortical BMD was not significant(p>0.05). The levels of BMD and bone markers between before and after was significantly correlated, demonstrating the homogeneity of response to HRT. The percentage change of trabecular BMD was negatively correlated with the percentage change of dPyr after HRT(r=-0.45, p=0.01). The variance of the percentage change of dPyr contributed to the percentage chang of trabecular BMD by 20%. There was no correlation between the percentage change of total BMD or cortical BMD and the change of ALP, iOC, or dPyr after HRT.

Conclusion : After 1 year of HRT in postmenopausal women, all biochemical bone markers were decreased significantly, whereas only trabecular BMD measured by pQCT was increased significantly. This result suggests that bone markers was more sensitive than BMD to monitor the therapeutic efficacy of HRT. The percentage change of trabecular BMD was correlated with the change of dPyr after HRT only. dPyr might be the most sensitive marker among bone markers tested. Therefore, we can predict the change of BMD after HRT through monitoring the levels of dPyr.