Understanding osteoporosis - Juliet Compston

Osteoporosis means porosity or thinning of the bones. Frailty, fractures, curved back and loss of height are often regarded as a normal part of ageing. In fact these are symptoms of a disease, osteoporosis, which can be prevented if steps are taken earlier in life. If allowed to progress without treatment, osteoporosis is one of the leading causes of suffering, disability and death in elderly people. Fortunately, there is an increasing awareness of osteoporosis and important breakthroughs have been made in its diagnosis and treatment.