[Osteoporosis among the elderly is a "silent epidemics". Insufficient prophylaxis and underdiagnosing are big problems]

Abstract

The increasing number of fractures due to osteoporosis continues to put economical and practical burdens on the national health service. Despite the fact that knowledge of the disease and its consequences has increased tremendously and new, effective drugs have been developed only a minority of the patients are diagnosed and appropriately treated. Resources should be made available to improve methods of measuring bone mineral density as well as establishing outpatient osteoporosis clinics at all hospitals in the country. Age ought not to be a limiting factor to initiate treatment or prevention of fractures. The present situation for the osteoporosis patient, the clinical syndromes with special reference to age-related and secondary osteoporosis, their causes, diagnosis and treatment are briefly reviewed.