Calcitonin is prescribed for women who are at least how many years postmenopause?

• A. 1 year
• B. 3 years
• C. 5 years
• D. 7 years

Answer: (C)

Calcitonin is an antiresorptive medicine used in osteoporosis to slow bone loss by inhibiting osteoclasts. In postmenopausal osteoporosis, its use is typically reserved for women who are several years past menopause, when bone turnover has become more stable and the drug’s modest efficacy is acceptable as a safer, tolerable option or after other treatments are unsuitable. The standard minimum time since menopause for considering calcitonin is five years. Early postmenopause (one or three years) often leads clinicians to prefer more potent agents, while seven years isn’t the threshold being sought—the question matches the conventional five-year mark.