The Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to enhanced bone fragility and fracture risk, is a major public health problem.The diagnostic methods for osteoporosis include simple radiography, bone scan, DXA (Dual energy X-ray Absortiometry) and biochemical markers of bone turnover.Optimal treatment and prevention of osteoporosis require modification of risk factors, particularly smoking cessation, adequate physical activity, and attention to diet, in addition to pharmacologic intervention.The estrogens and raloxifene both prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women, and the estrogens probably also decrease the risk of first fracture.There is good evidence that raloxifene prevents further fractures in postmenopausal women who already have had fractures and some evidence that estrogen does as well.Bisphosphonate prevents bone loss and reduces fractures in healthy and osteoporotic postmenopausal women and in osteoporotic men as well.Risedronate is more potent and has fewer side effects than alendronate and reduces the incidence of fractures in osteoporotic women.Calcitonin increases bone mineral density in early postmenopausal women and men with idiopathic osteoporosis, and also reduces the risk of new fractures in osteoporotic women.All of the agents discussed above prevent bone resorption, whereas teriparatide and strontium increase bone formation and are effective in the treatment of osteoporotic women and men.New avenues for targeting -문준성․원규장 -20 서 론 골다공증은 골의 강도가 손상됨으로 골절의 위험이 높아지는 골격질환이며, 골의 강도는 일차적으로 골밀도와 골의 질의 조합으로 결정 된다. 1) 골다공증은 각종 내분비질환과 소화흡 수장애질환, 영양소 결핍, 식생활 습관, 약물, 에스트로겐의 부족,