Osteoporosis-causes, epidemiology and symptoms

Abstract

Osteoporosis is an extensive disease of the skeletal system, causing a decrease in the mineral density of bones and a disruption of their microarchitecture. Progressing pathological changes lead to increased bone brittleness and the risk of spontaneous fractures. Osteoporosis mainly affects women aged over 60. Statistical data reveal rather alarming tendencies, i.e. one in five elderly persons who has experienced hip fracture will die within 6 months from the incident. In turn, one in three people who have sustained a femoral neck fracture does not return to normal health and requires assistance on a daily basis. The costs of treating osteoporotic fractures are also on the rise. Hence, the disease constitutes a substantial social problem, especially that the number of patients has not been precisely specified, as for some of them clinical diagnosis is only made after a low-energy bone fracture occurs. © 2013 Curr. Issues Pharm. Med. Sci.