Cystic fibrosis (CF) -- an autosomal recessive genetic disease affecting about 60,000
individuals worldwide, including about 3,800 in Italy -- is often associated with low bone
mineral mass. The current aggressive therapies have ensured a much longer survival of CF
patients but this has led to a higher frequency of osteoporosis and bone fractures, a serious
problem which not only affects quality of life, but also hinders further therapeutic
measures.
The aim of this study, conducted on a large group of children, adolescents and young adults
with CF, has been the evaluation of bone mass changes after 1 year of a simple treatment with
RDA-adjusted dietary calcium plus 25-OH vitamin D supplementation, and the feasibility and
efficacy of alendronate treatment (for another year) in patients not responding to calcium +
25-OH vitamin D alone.