Treatment of Osteoporosis with 1‐Alpha‐Hydroxycholecalciferol and Calcium

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Abstract
A double-blind comparative study of 1.alpha.-OHD3 [1-.alpha.-hydroxychole calciferol] and placebo was performed on 37 patients with osteoporotic hip fracture without clinical osteomalacia. 1.alpha.-OHD3, in a dose of 1 .mu.g/day with 2.5 g CaCO3, did not heal osteoporosis as judged from determinations of bone mineral density and histomorphometric analyses during 4 mo. of treatment. 1.alpha.-OHD3 seemed to have an effect on fracture healing as concluded from the posttreatment alkaline phosphatase level. Hypercalcemia was common, occurring in 6 of 19 patients treated with 1.alpha.-OHD3. Treatment of osteoporosis with 1.alpha.-OHD3 and Ca is apparently ineffective and potentially dangerous because it frequently causes hypercalcemia.