Osteoporosis:Thinning of the bones, with reductioninbonemass, due to depletion ofcalciumand boneprotein.Osteoporosispredisposes a person to fractures, which are often slow to heal and heal poorly. It is most common in older adults, particularly postmenopausal women, and in patients who take steroids or steroidal drugs. Uncheckedosteoporosiscan lead to changes inposture, physical abnormality (particularly the form of hunched back known colloquially as dowager?s hump), and decreased mobility. Treatment of osteoporosis includes exercise (especially weight-bearingexercisethat buildsbone density), ensuring that the diet contains adequate calcium and other minerals needed to promote new bone growth, use of medications to improvebone density, and sometimes for postmenopausal women, use of hormone therapy.
