Osteoporosis »

Professor David M. Reid is a long-term leader in osteoporosis services and research in the UK. He has had heavy involvement in the National Osteoporosis Society as a chair of the Medical Board and non Vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees. Dr Alison J. Black has been involved in metabolic bone disease work since 1993. She has an MD on the effects of parathyroid hormone on bone and is a clinical lead in the Osteoporosis service for NHS Grampian. Rena Sandison has been an osteoporosis specialist nurse since 2005. She has a post graduate certificate in osteoporosis and falls management.

Osteoporosis affects an estimated 3 million people in the UK. The condition causes the bones to become more fragile and therefore more prone to fractures, along with pain, a loss of movement, and an inability to perform daily tasks. One in two women and one in five men in the UK will suffer a fracture after the age of 50.

Aimed at patients and carers, this book covers topics such as who is affected, what the risk factors are, and how patients can prevent or lessen the efefcts. The book looks forward to advances in diagnosis and treatment and how they have improved health outcomes of patients. Written by a leading osteoporosis specialist and Scientific Advisory Committee Member of the National Osteoporosis Society, this addition to the Facts series is a comprehensive guide to understanding and coping with this debilitating disease.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Hamid Bashir, MD(Washington University Medical Center)
Description:This book provides a good deal of information on the silent epidemic of osteoporosis, both for health professionals and a general audience.
Purpose:Its aim is to increase awareness about this often-neglected disease. The book clearly meets its objective of presenting the facts about osteoporosis along with preventive and management strategies.
Audience:It has a broad audience among health professionals, from medical students to attendings. Although some chapters may be beyond the level of understanding of patients or their relatives, there is sufficient information for them to understand the basics of the disease.
Features:After the basics, the book moves on to pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. For lay readers, there are key points and useful figures. For health professionals, there are cases and reports. Alternative therapies, basic science aspects, and epidemiologic data are also presented. Short paragraphs with clear captions make the book easy to read.
Assessment:The information on osteoporosis is well written and well presented, concise, yet thorough. All the newer treatments are covered along with alternative remedies and lifestyle measures.

1 What is osteoporosis?

2 Who gets osteoporosis?

3 The diagnosis of osteoporosis

4 The management and medical treatments for osteoporosis - now and the future

5 Diet, exercise, smoking. alcohol, and prevention of falls

6 Osteoporotic fractures

7 The multidisciplinary team

8 Future developments in osteoporosis management

Appendix

Glossary

Index