THE IMPACT of osteoporosis
on older adults
is pervasive and often
poorly recognised. One
in two women and one
third of men will suffer
an osteoporotic fracture
in their lifetime.
In
recent years, therapies
designed to prevent and
manage osteoporosis
have emerged but their
clinical efficacy and
risk/benefit profiles are
often questioned. From
hormone replacement
therapy (HRT) through
bisphosphonate drugs
and calcium supplements,
therapies have
fallen in and out of fashion
as our understanding
of the cellular and
molecular mechanisms
underlying bone loss
increases.
With a globally ageing
population, osteoporosis
is expected to
become an increasing
burden on health-care
systems worldwide.