To some, osteoporosis seems an inevitable condition of old age, a disease which is inescapable for those who live a long life. But new research indicates osteoporosis can be averted, saving individuals, especially women, from a sentence of pain and inactivity. In this paper, we will compare two studies of osteoporosis, "2002 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Osteoporosis in Canada" and "Calcium to Treat and Prevent Osteoporosis." We will demonstrate how the former study is superior to the latter in methodology; how the two differ in scope; and how the researchers involved with both projects could expand and build upon these initial studies.
Research Comparison.
Careful analysis of these two studies shows differing approaches to the question posed by osteoporosis. In the Canadian study, the objectives, outcomes, and recommendations are clearly stated at the beginning of the study. The Canadian researchers aimed to revise and expand the 1996 Osteoporosis Society of Canada clinical practice guidelines for the management of osteoporosis. The sixty-five researchers represented various aspects of the health care field and their ultimate recommendations were based upon a critical analysis of thousands of articles from a host of databases; thus, their sample has to be quite legitimate. Furthermore, their conclusions offered strategies for identifying those at high risk of developing osteoporosis, using bone mineral density in diagnosing the condition, making recommendations for diet and exercise, and developing pharmacologic therapy for preventing and treating osteoporosis. .
In "Calcium to Treat and Prevent Osteoporosis," the recommendations for addressing the condition appear to be based on the author's interpretation of evidence from various sources. Some of the writer's conclusions seem to be based upon his experience with a single patient, rather than with a controlled study of patients.