New approaches in the treatment and prfoilaxis of osteoporosis

Abstract

Osteoporosis has been defined as the silent disease of the 21st century, becoming a public health risk due to its severity, chronicity and progression and affecting mainly postmenopausal women and older adults. Osteoporosis is characterized by an imbalance between bone resorption and bone pro­ duction. It is diagnosed through different methods such as bone densitometry and dual X-rays. The treatment of this pathology focuses on different aspects. On the one hand, pharmacological treat­ ments are characterized by the use of anti-resorptive drugs, as well as emerging regenerative medicine treatments such as cell therapies and the use of bioactive hydrogels. On the other hand, non-phar­ macological treatments are associated with lifestyle habits that should be incorporated, such as physical activity, diet and the cessation of harmful habits such as a high consumption of alcohol or smoking. This review seeks to provide an overview of the theoreti­ cal basis in relation to bone biology, the existing methods for diagnosis and the treatments of osteopo­ rosis, including the development of new strategies.