[Early diagnosis of postmenopausal osteoporosis]

Osteoporosis can be diagnosed by history, physical examination, laboratory test and bone mass measurement. A low bone mass is the most important risk factor for osteoporotic fractures. In the assessment of risk is very important the rate of bone loss too. Combining bone density and bone turnover with age and other associated risk factors can improve the assessment of the risk of osteoporosis especially at the postmenopausal women. As in many medical conditions early diagnosis is the key to success in prevention and treatment in osteoporosis.