Osteoporosis: prevention is key to management.
Osteoporosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly women. The key to managing osteoporosis is to recognize that it may be more easily prevented than treated. Preventive measures focus on increasing the peak bone mass reached in all individuals by age 20 by counseling younger patients on lifestyle habits and dietary measures that affect bone growth, and on slowing the rapid age-related bone loss that occurs in postmenopausal women with the use of estrogen replacement therapy. In addition to its effects on bone, estrogen therapy also alleviates the signs and symptoms of menopause and possibly reduces the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. A relationship between estrogens and breast cancer remains controversial, but a recent meta-analysis suggests no increased risk of this malignancy among women who receive hormone replacement therapy.
Boston University School of Medicine, Mass.
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Levin
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors