ABSTRACT

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease, associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) and pathological fractures which lead to significant morbidity. It is defined clinically by a BMD of 2.5 standard deviations or more below the young adult mean (T-score = −2.5). Osteoporosis is also a huge global problem both socially and economically. Therefore preventative and therapeutic approaches are key to managing this problem within the aging population of today. Pharmacologic therapy for osteoporosis includes the use of antiresorptive agents to decrease bone resorption, such as bisphosphonates, the selective estrogen-receptor modulator (SERM) raloxifene, calcitonin, and denosumab. In addition, there are anabolic steroids that promote bone formation in patients with osteoporosis, such as teriparatide. Also new drugs are emerging for the treatment of osteoporosis, characterized by acting on very specific bone cell physiology.