Osteoporosis (eBook)

Completely revised and updated, and utilizing the most current evidence and practice guidelines for the treatment of osteoporosis, this comprehensive third edition discusses the basic aspects of bone metabolism, the pathophysiology of osteoporosis, current diagnostic techniques and medical treatment strategies. Osteoporosis is a common disorder that is prevalent in over 20 million Americans over the age of 60. One and a half million osteoporotic fractures occur in the United States every year, including 300,000 hip fractures. Mortality rates after hip fracture approach 25%, with another 50% of patients experiencing a major decrease in their prior level of independence and quality of life. Despite the wide prevalence and severe consequences of osteoporosis, it remains a disorder that is severely under-diagnosed and treated. In this context, specialists and primary care physicians alike are having increasing difficulty keeping up with the rapid changes to the field and incorporating these advances to clinical care.

In the years since the last edition of this book was published, the osteoporosis field has changed drastically. In addition to revising and updating existing chapters and removing a few that are no longer as relevant, new chapters discuss an advanced understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the disorder, the introduction of new diagnostic imaging techniques, a more nuanced appreciation of the risks and benefits of osteoporosis therapies, and the introduction of two new classes of osteoporosis medications. Following the format of the second edition, and including helpful key points at the opening of each chapter, this text will present a comprehensive overview of both the basic and clinical concepts relating to each topic, when appropriate. Chapter authors were chosen based on their high level of expertise and leadership in the field. Taken together, this text should thus be of great interest to physicians of multiple specialties, allied health professionals, as well as basic and clinical researchers.

Benjamin Z. Leder, MD, Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA