Osteoporosis update.

Osteoporosis is a potentially devastating disease affecting millions of Americans with more than 1.5 million fractures annually at a cost that is projected to be more than 60 billion dollars by the year 2020. Heightened patient awareness and education regarding risk factors, especially of behavioral and nutritional factors, should help in prevention particularly when directed to the young. The availability of precise measurements of BMD now facilitates the assessment of patients, the need for therapeutic intervention, and assessment of the response to therapy. The increasing number of approved, safe and effective therapeutic agents and the continuing intense research efforts bode well for improved skeletal health for women of all ages.