There are concerns about loss of bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, especially in those who require concomitant corticosteroid therapy. Bisphosphonates are becoming an increasingly popular therapeutic option for treating postmenopausal osteoporosis. The clinical capacity of etidronic acid to reverse postmenopausal osteoporosis and its potential to prevent corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis were discussed at the XIX ILAR Congress of Rheumatology [Singapore; June 1997].