[Current approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis]

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (OP) is a disease afflicting every three women above 50 years of age. The sociomedical significance of OP is determined by the development of fracture in minimal injuries resulting in disability and, occasionally, death. The review presents a new management strategy described in the European and Russian guidelines. Particular emphasis is laid on the early identification and treatment of patients at high risk for fractures. The current requirements for drugs used to treat OP are described, by using as an example strontium ranelate, one of the first-line agents for the treatment of postmenopausal OP.