Question
Alendronate in osteoporosis management
Q9 1 marks Short Answers ★ ✓
Answer
Alendronate binds hydroxyapatite in bone and is taken up specifically by osteoclasts during bone resorption, where it inhibits farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase in the mevalonate pathway, disrupting osteoclast cytoskeletal function and inducing osteoclast apoptosis. By suppressing osteoclast-mediated bone resorption while osteoblast-mediated bone formation continues relatively unopposed, alendronate increases bone mineral density and reduces fracture risk — the direct rationale for its use in osteoporosis management.
1 Drugs for Disorders of Calcium Balance
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