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Osteoporosis - preventing steroid-induced - Background information
Why is it important?
- Use of corticosteroids is one of the leading causes of osteoporosis. Corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis is second only to postmenopausal osteoporosis, and up to 30–50% of people who take corticosteroids long term will eventually develop fragility fractures [Civitelli and Ziambaras, 2008].
- A fragility fracture occurs as a result of mechanical forces that would not ordinarily cause a fracture. The World Health Organization quantified this as a force equivalent to a fall from standing height or less [NICE, 2008].
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