title: PHYSIOPATHOLOGY OF OSTEOPOROSIS: FROM RISK FACTORS ANALYSIS TO TREATMENT.
abstract: Osteoporosis represents a relevant health issue, being the first cause of bone fractures in the elderly with subsequent implications in terms of survival and social costs. The improved knowledge about the physiopathology of this disease has led to a new definition of Osteoporosis, which shifts the attention from the "decrease in bone mass" to several elements related to what has globally been defined as bone quality. In fact, it has been shown that clinical risk factors affecting bone homeostasis coincide with osteoporosis risk factors. The evaluation of such clinical risk factors is an important element in the assessment of the global fracture risk. The availability of instruments for the assessment of the global fracture risk also suggests a change in the clinical perspective and raises new questions as yet unanswered.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Puente
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Unit, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Puente
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caso
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scarpa
mesh_terms: D015519:Bone Density; D006801:Humans; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors