The Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a common and under-diagnosed disease characterized by the systemic impairment and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist. Recent progress in osteoporosis revealed new information on its pathogenesis, the relative risks of fragility fractures, and new treatment measures. In the wake of progress in osteoporosis research, the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research (JSBMR) and Japan Osteoporosis Society Joint Review Committee revised the diagnostic criteria for primary osteoporosis, aimed at obtaining international consensus on the new findings, in 2012. The JSBMR also published guidelines for the use of bone metabolic markers in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in that year. Then, the JSBMR revised the guidelines on the management and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in 2014. This article focuses on the diagnosis and pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis, with an overview of the Japanese guidelines.