How to Treat Osteoporosis in Octogenarians?

Objective: There are few studies investigating the efficacy of anti-osteoporotic drugs in the oldest old. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of osteoporosis treatment among individuals older and younger than 80 years of age.Materials and Methods: A total of 257 patients with osteoporosis, aged 65 and over, 234 women and 23 men, were included in the study. Sixty-five of the patients were aged 80 years and older. Seventy-four participants received alendronate, 93 received zoledronic acid, and 90 received denosumab. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans were performed at baseline and at month 24.Results: The proportion of the participants receiving glucocorticoid was higher in the under 80-age group. Bone mineral density (BMD) changes were similar between the <80 and >= 80 aged groups. There was no significant difference in the lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD changes between the groups in terms of the anti-osteoporotic agent used. A statistically significant strong positive correlation was found between the femur neck BMD change and fracture risk reduction percentage.Conclusion: This study showed that osteoporosis treatment in individuals over 80 years of age is as effective as in those under 80 years of age. The results of our study may guide osteoporosis treatment in older individuals.