Osteoporosis and its management

Fractures caused by osteoporosis affect one in two women and one in five men over the age of 50, resulting in an estimated annual cost to the health services of around 1.8bn (2.7bn; $3.5bn) in the United Kingdom and 30bn in all of Europe. 1 2 Most patients with osteoporosis are managed in primary care, but a minority will benefit from referral to specialised centres. In recent years considerable advances have been made both in the identification of people at high risk of fracture and in therapeutic options to reduce the risk of fracture. This review focuses on these areas and also on the partnership that is required between primary and secondary care to optimise the management of patients with osteoporosis.