The genetics of osteoporosis. Future diagnostic possibilities.

The risk of developing osteoporosis is determined by the interaction of several mostly unknown genes and environmental factors. Genetic studies in osteoporosis have largely focussed on association studies of a small number of candidate genes, with few linkage studies performed, and large areas of the genome remaining unexplored. Identifying the genes involved in osteoporosis would be a major advance in our understanding of the causation of the disease, and lead to advances in diagnosis, risk prediction, and potentially preventive and therapeutic measures.