Interpretation of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of primary osteoporosis (2022 version) in China: essential introduction

Abstract

China is now witnessing an accelerated aging process，and active reaction is an important issue that we are facing. Osteoporosis and the resulting fractures are particularly noteworthy. In order to further standardize the diagnosis and treatment of primary osteoporosis, the Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Disease Branch of the Chinese Medical Association has developed and released the “Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Osteoporosis (2022 Version)” based on the epidemiological characteristics and pathogenesis of the Chinese population, which combined high-quality medical research evidence from both domestic and foreign sources. Based on evidence-based medicine evidence, and clinical practice in China, this article will focus on the interpretation of two key clinical issues in the new version of the guidelines, namely “fracture risk stratification and treatment selection” and “treatment course of anti-osteoporosis drugs”. Regarding the risk of fractures, this guideline divides it into high and extremely high fracture risks, cancels the classification of low and medium risks, and for one of the extremely high fracture risk indicators “recent brittle fractures”，defines “recent” as “24 months”.Given that the FRAX model underestimates the fracture risk of Chinese patients, it is proposed to develop a highly operational fracture risk stratification criteria in clinical practice. Regarding drug treatment, patients who use bisphosphonates should be fully evaluated before entering the medication holiday, and regular follow-up is still required. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has lifted the warning of osteosarcoma and 24- month treatment limit for terlipide, the user manual of the drug in China still suggests a treatment period of 24 months. This guideline is based on high-quality evidence-based medical evidence both domestically and internationally, and may provide reference and research directions for clinical practice.

Keywords

• |primary osteoporosis|risk stratification|dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry