Abstract: AIM: To compare the effects of vitamin D and calcium compound alone or in combination with alendronate on preventing the loss of bone mineral induced by glucocorticoid. METHODS: 40 cases patients, diagnosed osteoporosis or osteopenia were divided into two groups.Group A were treated with a tablet of Caltrate D 0.6 g d and group B were treated with a tablet of Caltrate D 0.6 g d plus alendronate 70 mg week.The clinical painful symptoms, common biochemical indicators, the bone mineral density (BMD) changes of quantitative CT lumbar vertebra were observed at starting point and after 6 months treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant differences between two groups both in general indexes of basal level and in the total effective rates of pain relieveing.After treatment, the BMD of lumbar vertebra were decreased in group A (P<0.05), which were increased significantly in group B (P<0.01), the BMD of lumbar vertebra in group B was higher than that in group A (P<0.01).The changes of general biochemical indicators showed no difference in two groups before and after treatment (P >0.05). CONCLUSION: Long-term use of glucocorticoid induce loss of bone mineral continually.Compared with treated with compound of calcium and vitamin D alone, combination with alendronate can effectively prevent the loss of bone mineral content induced by long-term use of glucocorticoid.

Key words: alendronate, compound of calcium and vitamin D, glucocorticoid, osteoporosis, bone loss, quantitative CT