Novel methods for the medical treatment and/or inhibition of the
development of osteoporosis, breast cancer, hypercholesterolemia,
hyperlipidemia or atherosclerosis in susceptible warm-blooded animals
including humans involving administration of selective estrogen receptor
modulator particularly compounds having the general structure:
##STR1##
and an amount of a sex steroid precursor selected from the group consisting
of dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate,
androst-5-ene-3.beta.,17.beta.-diol and compounds converted in vivo to one
of the foregoing presursor. Further administration of bisphosphonates in
combination with selective estrogen receptor modulators and/or sex steroid
precursor is disclosed for the medical treatment and/or inhibition of the
development of osteoporosis. Pharmaceutical compositions for delivery of
active ingredient(s) and kit(s) useful to the invention are also
disclosed.