Diabetes Q&A

Osteoporosis, Diabetes Treatments Assessed in New Review

In a recent systematic literature review, researchers developed recommendations for treating patients with both osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes. 

The review sought to provide an optimal guide for treating patients with diabetes and osteoporosis by examining the effects of diabetes treatment on bone metabolism, and the effect of anti-osteoporotic medications on the incidence and control of type 2 diabetes.
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Recommendations included in the review were based on evidence from studies published until March 2017 located on PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE, and the evidence was graded using a grading system introduced by the American College of Physicians.

Among the recommendations:

  • Metformin, sulfonylureas, DPP-4i, and GLP1-RA are the preferred treatment for type 2 diabetes patients with osteoporosis, but strict targets should not be implemented to avoid hypoglycemia, falls, and fractures.
  • Insulin should be used with caution and with careful measures to avoid hypoglycemia.
  • Insulin therapy is recommended for achieving glycemic control in patients hospitalized with type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.
  • Physicians should avoid prescribing TZDs and canagliflozin, while other SGLT2 inhibitors are less well-validated options.

“The treatment and monitoring of osteoporosis should be continued without important amendments because of the presence of [type 2 diabetes],” the researchers wrote.

Additionally, the authors concluded that a healthy diet and physical exercise were important for the prevention of both diabetes and osteoporosis.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Paschou SA, Dede AD, Anagnostis PG, Vryonidou A, Morganstein D, Goulis DG. Type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis: a guide to optimal management [June 21, 2017]. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2017-00042.