Use of Strontium Chloride for the Treatment of Osteoporosis: A Case Report

Context center dot Strontium ranelate is an approved prescription medication for the treatment of osteoporosis in Europe. In the United States, the only available forms of strontium arc those that arc nonprescription, dietary supplements. Some patients with osteoporosis use those products because they prefer an alternate treatment to conventional therapy. Currently, no controlled trials have been conducted on the effectiveness of the supplements for treating osteoporosis. Objective center dot The study intended to examine how one woman responded to the use of strontium chloride. Design. this was a retrospective case study. Setting center dot The woman in the case study was a patient in an academic urban women's health clinic in Minneapolis, MN, USA. Participant center dot The participant was a postmenopausal woman with a history of vertebral fracture. Intervention center dot The participant took 680 mg daily of strontium chloride for 2.5 y. Outcome Measures center dot The patient had begun receiving dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans in 2004 and continued to receive follow-up scans every 2 y After beginning strontium therapy in December 2011, she received DXA scans in March 2012 and May 2014. Results center dot During the study, the analysis of the patient's DXA scans showed a positive increase in the bone mineral density (BMD) of her vertebrae and her right hip and maintenance of her BMD in her left hip. Conclusions center dot Although the current case report does not provide enough evidence to conclude that US dietary supplements of strontium are effective in preventing fractures, it demonstrates a positive experience for one patient. (Ahern lher Health Med. 2016;22(3):66-70.)