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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

To the Editor: Dr Alexandersen and colleagues¹ found that ipriflavone, which is available as an over-the-counter product, was ineffective at preventing bone loss in postmenopausal white women. We have several concerns about the study's design.

First, each of the women in the study had osteoporosis, with a bone density T score of 0.86 or less. They were each given 500 mg/d of supplemental calcium, which is well below the recommended dose of 1500 mg/d for women with osteoporosis. Also, because there is a wide range of calcium absorption from different available preparations, the specific calcium product must also be known to ensure adequate calcium intake.

Second, women with osteoporosis are typically given vitamin D₃ at 400 IU/d with a calcium supplement. Alexandersen et al do not state whether or not these women were given vitamin D₃. Although the article states that vitamin D₃ levels were measured, these values were . . . [Full Text of this Article]

RELATED ARTICLE

Ipriflavone in the Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Peter Alexandersen, Anne Toussaint, Claus Christiansen, Jean-Pierre Devogelaer, Christian Roux, Jacques Fechtenbaum, Carlo Gennari, Jean Yves Reginster, and for the Ipriflavone Multicenter European Fracture Study
JAMA. 2001;285(11):1482-1488.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT