Osteoporosis management requires a combination of adequate supplementation of Vitamin D and Calcium (through diet and supplements) as well as appropriate pharmacologic therapy such as bisphosphonates. Supplementation requirements are patient specific due to diet (Table 56-4), risk factors (Table 56-1), age and gender. Not all supplements are created equally. Be sure to read the labels and understand the various calcium salts in terms of elemental calcium per tablet (Table 56-5) and the factors that can affect absorption. Patients on acid suppression therapy will benefit most from calcium citrate. The indications for pharmacologic osteoporosis therapy vary dependent on many factors such as: gender, menopause, prevention or treatment, renal function, etc. Be familiar with the appropriate indications (Table 56-6). Osteoarthritis can occur with and without inflammation. Determining the presence or absence of inflammation may affect your treatment decision. (Think NSAID vs. Acetaminophen for example). Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition and treatment is not curative. The goal is to treat symptoms and prevent disease progression. Diet and lifestyle modifications may be helpful to reducing the incidence of gout flares. Certain medications can be causative to hyperuricemia and should be recognized. Certain medications are also uricosuric which may be helpful in reducing uric acid levels (fenofibrate, losartan). The treatment of gout flares focuses on NSAIDs, colchicine and corticosteroids. Each treatment has different adverse effects and toxicities. Understanding the adverse effect profile is essential to choosing the appropriate dosing. Hyperuricemia can be present with or without gout flares. Understand the appropriate indications for uric acid lowering therapy (ULT) such as: allopurinol, febuxostat, p
robenecid or pegloticase. This module discusses various disorders of the bones and joints, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and gout. At the completion of this module the student will be able to: : : : Module VIDiscussions & Assignments Discussion Calcium and Vitamin D supplementation are essential to bone health and the management of osteopenia and osteoporosis. In the past few years, information regarding the potential risks of too much calcium (such as cardiovascular disease and/or events) have been emerging. Gout is a common form of inflammatory arthritis that is very painful. It usually affects one joint at a time (often the big toe joint). Although there is no cure for gout, it can be effectively treated and managed with medication and self-management strategies Assignments None Post your initial response by Wednesday at midnight. Respond to one student by Sunday at midnight. Both responses should be a minimum of 150 words, scholarly written, APA formatted, and referenced. A minimum of 2 references are required (other than your text). Refer to the Grading Rubric for Online Discussion in the Course Resource section. APA formatting is required in discussion posts with the following two exceptions (due to limitations with the text editor in LIVE): . Discussion posts will NOT be evaluated on those two formatting requirements. All other APA formatting guidelines should be followed. For example, in-text citations must be formatted with the appropriate information and in the correct sequence (Author, year), reference list entries must include all appropriate information following guidelines for capitalization, italics, and be in the correct sequence. Refer to the APA Publication Manual 7th ed. for each source types specific requirements. Please let your instructor know if you have any questions.