Osteoporosis

New medications and other treatments have changed the way we look at osteoporosis, the bone degeneration usually associated with the aging process. Osteoporosis currently affects an estimated 10 million people, while almost 34 million have low bone mass, which puts them at an increased risk for developing osteoporosis. The condition is typically considered a "woman's disease," although two million of those affected with the disease are men. In fact, about 30 percent of hip fractures occur in men, and one in eight men over 50 years of age will experience an osteoporotic fracture.

Today, we know much more about diagnosing, preventing and treating osteoporosis, as well as the condition's resulting complications. In addition to estrogen, other medications are available to control the disease.

Our specialists at the Osteoporosis Center at the UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion can choose the best treatments for your individual needs. Equipped with a state-of-the-art digital scanner for spine, hip and wrist scans, as well as an ultrasound scanner for heel bone measurements, we can diagnose osteoporosis in its early stages and determine your risk of eventual fracture.

Our researchers have been working for more than 15 years to discover risk factors for fracture and test new diagnostic equipment and treatments, many of which are now part of the standard arsenal for managing osteoporosis.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call:
Osteoporosis Center (415) 353-9720

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated August 29, 2007