Osteoporosis and aging. Current update.

Abstract

Osteoporosis is 1 of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders afflicting the elderly population today. Together with a propensity for falls, it can lead to a life-threatening condition such as a hip fracture, making prevention a key concept. In this article, the pathophysiology of bone loss in the elderly is reviewed and current methods for diagnosis and treatment are summarized. In recently postmenopausal women with significant bone loss, estrogen therapy is the preferred treatment. In the older population, adequate nutrition, calcium supplementation, and weightbearing exercise are the mainstays of treatment. With the development of newer pharmaceutical agents, eventually it may be possible to reduce significantly, and even reverse, bone loss in older postmenopausal women.