Atlanta - The American College of Rheumatology's (ACR) updated clinical guideline for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis is now available online. The guideline provides recommendations on assessing fracture risk and treatment for adults and special patient populations including women of childbearing potential, adults treated with very high-dose glucocorticoids, adults with organ transplants, and children ages 4-17.
"The guideline provides direction for clinicians and patients in making treatment decisions about management decisions in patients with or at risk for GIOP," said principal investigator Lenore Buckley, MD, MPH. "Clinicians and patients should employ a shared decision-making process that accounts for patients' values, preferences and comorbidities."
For all age groups, the panel's strong recommendations are:
For special populations, conditional recommendations are:
Special considerations during osteoporosis treatment include:
The ACR first published GIOP recommendations in 1996 and has updated these guidelines (first in 2001, then again in 2010) as new techniques for assessing fracture risk and new information about risk factors and therapies became available. For this new guideline, a systematic literature review was conducted to synthesize the evidence for the benefits and harms of GIOP prevention and treatment options. The committee used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology to rate the quality of evidence. A group consensus process was then used to determine the final recommendations and their grade strength.
The complete guideline is available on the ACR website at: https://www.rheumatology.org/Practice-Quality/Clinical-Support/Clinical-Practice-Guidelines/Glucocorticoid-Induced-Osteoporosis .
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The American College of Rheumatology is an evidence-based, patient-centered, and ethically-driven international medical association committed to advancing the specialty of rheumatology. In doing so, the ACR offers education, advocacy and practice management support to help its members continue their innovative work and provide quality patient care. For more information, visit http://www.rheumatology.org .
Arthritis & Rheumatology