ABSTRACT
Introduction Osteoporosis is the commonest metabolic bone disease and is a major public health issue in terms of mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs. It most commonly occurs in post-menopausal women, where the risk of fracture is greater than the combined risk of developing breast, cervical, uterine or ovarian cancer. Women at high risk of osteoporosis and its attendant fractures can now be identified using techniques such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure bone mineral density (BMD). For such women, treatment can be instigated to prevent or reverse post-menopausal bone loss, reduce bone turnover, and hence reduce the risk of subsequent fracture.
