Primary prevention of osteoporosis

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a chronic condition characterized by progressive loss of both bone mass and density. It is the most common bone disease, affecting 70% of women over the age of 80 years, and renders bones brittle and vulnerable to fracture. One in every two women and one in every five men sustain an osteoporosis-related fracture within their lifetime. Most of these fractures occur before a formal diagnosis of osteoporosis has been made; thus there is a clear role for primary prevention in preosteoporotic patients. There are numerous established risk factors for the development of osteoporosis, ranging from age, ethnicity and gender to specific medical conditions, medications, family history and lifestyle. Considering these as part of a primary care assessment allows patients at risk to be identified. Appropriate interventions can then be offered with the view to delaying, or ideally preventing, the onset of osteoporosis and its symptoms.