The Effects of Therapy With Teriparatide on Vascular Compliance and Osteoprotegerin/RANKL

The Effects of Therapy With Teriparatide (Recombinant Parathyroid Hormone (1-34) on Vascular Compliance and Osteoprotegerin/RANKL

The purpose of this study is to determine what effect teriparatide will have on vascular (blood vessel) compliance and osteoprotegerin (bone fluid)and RANKL levels (bone cells).

Research subjects participation is about 6 months. Subjects will give themselves daily injections of teriparatide after instruction on technique.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Postmenopausal women and men over the age of 40 who are starting therapy with teriparatide

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with diabetes mellitus
• current smokers
• patients with a history of organ transplantation
• Patients currently of previously on glucocorticoid therapy within the past year
• Patients with serum creatinine above 1.5 mg/dl, patients with uncontrolled hypertension (BP 140/90 or greater)
• Patients ineligible for teriparatide therapy: History of metabolic bone disease other than osteoporosis
• History of radiation therapy
• Patients pregnant or nursing
• History of bone metastasis or skeletal malignancies
• History of hypercalcemia