Osteoporosis. Clinical features, prevention, and treatment.

Osteoporosis is a significant and growing problem among the elderly. Although therapies exist to treat established disease, preventive measures that maintain bone mass throughout life are preferable. Osteoporosis is a condition resulting in an increased risk of skeletal fractures owing to a reduction in the volume of bone tissue. There is a preservation of the normal ratio of unmineralized-to-mineralized bone matrix. This disease affects postmenopausal women most frequently, and a link clearly exists between estrogen deficiency and accelerated bone loss. Diet, exercise, and other forms of treatment exist for well-established disease.