The treatment gap: The missed opportunities for osteoporosis therapy
Nicholas R Fuggle1, Beth Curtis1, Michael Clynes1
1MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK; Rheumatology Department, University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
Abstract:
Despite substantial advances in delineation of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, risk assessment and treatment of osteoporosis over the last three decades, a substantial proportion of men and women at high risk of fracture remain untreated - the so-called "treatment gap". This review summarises the important patient-, physician- and policyrelated causes of this treatment gap, before discussing in greater detail: (a) the evidence base for the efficacy of bisphosphonates in osteoporosis; (b) recent evidence relating to the adverse effects of this widely used therapeutic class, most notably atypical femoral fracture and osteonecrosis of the jaw; (c) available strategies to improve both secondary and primary prevention pathways for the management of this disorder.
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