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Previous Volume 338:736-746 March 12, 1998 Number 11 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Osteoporosis affects an estimated 75 million people in Europe, the United States, and Japan.¹ It is a preventable and treatable condition, yet many people with osteoporosis remain unrecognized and untreated. The purpose of this review is to consider the evidence that treatments for postmenopausal osteoporosis are effective and safe.

Definition of Osteoporosis

Definitions of osteoporosis have usually been conceptual and therefore difficult to apply to individual patients. For example, a Consensus Development Conference defined osteoporosis as "a systemic skeletal disease characterised by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture."¹ A Working Group of . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Risk Factors

Diagnostic Evaluation

Pathophysiology of Osteoporosis

Evaluation of Drug Efficacy

Current Therapies

Estrogen-Replacement Therapy

Bisphosphonates

Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcitonin

Fluoride

Future Treatments

Raloxifene

Parathyroid Hormone

Other Therapies

Therapeutic Choices

Source Information

From the Division of Clinical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Eastell at the Section of Medicine, Division of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Sciences Centre, Northern General Hospital, Herries Rd., Sheffield S5 7AU, United Kingdom.

References

Related Letters:

Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Liu A. C., Lloyd M., Eastell R.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1998; 339:202-203, Jul 16, 1998. Correspondence

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