Effect of ipriflavone on bone mineral density of lumbar spine of aged women

Aged women with osteoporosis were followed for 6 months with or without ipriflavone (IP) 600 mg/day, and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were evaluated by dual-photon absorptiometry. Although a significant reduction of lumbar BMD was observed in the control group at the end of the experiment, the group treated with IP showed insignificant change. The frequency of deterioration was lower in the IP group compared to the control group. Additionally, the IP effect was more apparent in patients with lower calcitonin and higher bone gla-protein (BGP) levels. These results suggest that IP effectively maintains BMD and BMC of lumbar bone among aged women with osteoporosis, and its activity may be enhanced in patients with low calcitonin and high BGP levels.