Diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis

Osteoporotic fractures continue to be common in the elderly population and very costly to the healthcare system. Prevention remains the mainstay of treatment. Adequate exercise and calcium intake should be encouraged in all age groups. The rate of bone turnover for patients who present with osteoporosis should be defined. Those patients should be started on medication to slow bone loss. Several pharmacologic therapies including estrogen and biphosphonates are currently available for treatment of osteopenia and osteoporosis. New research is investigating additional therapies that may stimulate osteoblasts to increase bone mass. Recent insights into the regulation of osteoclast function may lead to additional therapeutic approaches in the future.