Vitamin D and Calcium for Osteroporosis in France increased by 4X: 2007-2016

Bone . 2021 Nov 8;116255. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2021.116255
Bernard Cortet 1, Anne-Marie Schott 2, Gaëlle Désaméricq 3, Jean-Vannak Chauny 3, Pascale Samama 3, Corinne Emery 4, Francis Fagnani 5

Purpose: To describe the trends in the pharmacological management of postmenopausal osteoporosis in France during the period 2007-2016.

Method: This cross-sectional, yearly repeated study of patients in France used the nationwide claim database 'Échantillon Généraliste de Bénéficiaires', (EGB) covering a 1 in 97 representative sample of approximately 600,000 individuals insured by the main French public insurance scheme. For women aged 50-89 years, prescriptions for all anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs) marketed in France during the study period (bisphosphonates alone or used in combination with calcium, selective estrogen receptor modulators, strontium ranelate, teriparatide or denosumab) were identified in each calendar year. Initiation of any AOM in a calendar year was defined by the absence of a prescription for any AOM within the 2 previous calendar years. Incidence was calculated for all AOM prescriptions and initial prescriptions for AOM.

Results: Marked changes were observed in the rates of women receiving any AOM, with a slight increase from 2007 to 2009 (from 10.22 to 10.42 per 100 patient-years PY), then a plateau in 2009-2010, followed by a rapid and more than twofold decrease until 2016 (from 10.39 to 5.02 per 100 PY). The decrease in the overall rate of women initiating an AOM showed a rapid halving from 2007 to 2012 (from 2.56 to 1.15 per 100 PY), followed by a plateau in a range 0.90-1.0 per 100 PY during the period 2013-2016.
In contrast, the use of calcium/vitamin D has been rapidly increasing as the only prevention and exclusive intervention for postmenopausal osteoporosis, from

  • 10.6% of women in 2007 to
  • 47.7% in 2016.

The profile of patients initiating AOM changed substantially over the 10-year period. Despite a stable mean age of approximately 69 years, an increasing proportion of women with severe chronic comorbidities (from 34.9% to 43.3%), history of fractures (from 7.8% to 13.3%) or high-dose steroid use (from 2.9% to 8.4%) was observed. The decline of AOM initiation was associated with a marked reduction of prescriptions during the study period:

  • by 64.2% for primary care physicians;
  • by 36.7% for specialty doctors; and
  • by 18.4% for rheumatologists.

Conclusion: These findings suggest a general trend toward an AOM uptake increasingly limited to a fraction of patients who are at high risk of fractures. In the context of an aging population and declining prescription rates for AOM, these data highlight an increasing treatment gap among women in France with osteoporosis, which is similar to that seen in other European countries and in the US.

VitaminDWiki

This is a 4x increased rebilling of Vitamin D prescriptions
Suspect that this is an undercount as some women will get vitamin D without prescripition

Overview Osteoporosis and vitamin D contains the following summary

  • FACT: Bones need Calcium (this has been known for a very long time)
  • FACT: Vitamin D improves Calcium bioavailability (3X ?)
  • FACT: Should not take > 750 mg of Calcium if taking lots of vitamin D (Calcium becomes too bio-available)
  • FACT: Adding vitamin D via Sun, UV, or supplements increased vitamin D in the blood
  • FACT: Vitamin D supplements are very low cost
  • FACT: Many trials, studies. reviews, and meta-analysis agree: adding vitamin D reduces osteoporosis
  • FACT: Toxic level of vitamin D is about 4X higher than the amount needed to reduce osteoporosis
  • FACT: Co-factors help build bones.
  • FACT: Vitamin D Receptor can restrict Vitamin D from getting to many tissues, such as bones
  • It appears that to TREAT Osteoporosis:
  •        Calcium OR vitamin D is ok
  •        Calcium + vitamin D is good
  •        Calcium + vitamin D + other co-factors is great
  •        Low-cost Vitamin D Receptor activators sometimes may be helpful
  • CONCLUSION: To PREVENT many diseases, including Osteoporosis, as well as TREAT Osteoporosis
  • Category Osteoporosis has 219 items
  • Category Bone Health has 311 items

Note: Osteoporosis causes bones to become fragile and prone to fracture
  Osteoarthritis is a disease where damage occurs to the joints at the end of the bones

Osteoporosis category includes the following

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