Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment in Latin America:
Current Structure and Future Directions

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced, leading to weakness of the skeleton and increased risk of fracture, particularly of the spine, wrist, hip, pelvis and upper arm. Osteoporosis and associated fractures are an important cause of mortality and morbidity and primarily affect postmenopausal women and elderly men. In women over 45, osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in the hospital than many other diseases, including diabetes, myocardial infarction and breast cancer.Osteoporosis may be asymptomatic until the patient presents with a fracture, and even then it is estimated that only one out of three vertebral fractures come to clinical attention.

In February of 2018, the Americas Health Foundation (AHF) convened a meeting of six Latin American experts and two observers to review Osteoporosis in the Region, including rheumatologists and gynecologists, to review public policy and treatment inertia of osteoporosis with the goal of reviewing the issues, obstacles and impediments of osteoporosis identification and treatment in Latin America, and developing policy recommendations for increasing awareness of the disease and elevating osteoporosis as a healthcare priority. The resulting article, “Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment in Latin America: Current Structure and Future Directions”, has been published in Archives of Osteoporosis. Click here to see the full article.