Guidelines for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, 2012

Osteoporosis is a constantly growing disease which affects over 200 million people worldwide. The present recommendations are guidelines for its diagnosis, prevention and treatment, but they do not constitute standards for clinical decisions in individual patients. The physician must adapt them to individual patients and special situations, incorporating personal factors that transcend the limits of these guidelines and are dependent on the knowledge and art of the physician. These guidelines should be reviewed and updated periodically as new, better and more effective diagnostic and therapeutic tools become available.