Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disease characterized by compromised bone strength that predisposes individuals to an increased risk of fracture. In the United States alone, osteoporosis affects more than 10 million individuals aged 50 years and older. Due to the aging population, that number is expected to reach 14 million by 2020. An additional 30 million Americans have osteopenia, or low bone mass, and are at risk for developing osteoporosis.

Despite widely-disseminated guidelines from the National Osteoporosis Foundation and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists regarding prevention, screening, and treatment of osteoporosis, studies indicate that patients are not receiving the recommended level of care. Even after sustaining an osteoporosis-related fracture, most patients are not diagnosed or treated for the condition. Additionally, significant discrepancies exist between practices in osteoporosis patient management. Standardizing the level of care is paramount to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Learning gaps identified by our needs assessment include the following:

• Health care professionals are not utilizing the appropriate guidelines to identify patients who suffer from osteoporosis.
•  Treatment of individuals with osteoporosis varies widely among health care providers.
• Health care providers may not be aware of all the current and emerging treatment options available for this disease.
• Better education regarding the use of biomarkers will enable health care providers to make better treatment decisions

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this program, the learners will be able to:

1. Identify common risk factors for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture in men and women
2. Describe benefits and limitations of FRAX and other fracture risk assessment tools
3. Appropriately evaluate secondary causes of osteoporosis
4. Assess the applicability of National Osteoporosis Foundation guidelines for densitometry and risk assessment, calcium and vitamin D, and exercise

ACPE Activity Type: Knowledge-based

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this program, the learners will be able to:

1. Evaluate recent recommendations for the use of nonpharmacologic agents such as vitamin D, calcium, and exercise in patients with osteoporosis
2. Develop a plan to address high-profile patient concerns such as subtrochanteric fractures of the femoral shaft, osteonecrosis of the jaw, and osteosarcoma related to pharmacologic agents frequently used to treat osteoporosis
3. Discuss data that supports current unmet needs in the treatment of patients with osteoporosis 
4. Explain the potential role of late-stage pipeline agents under investigation for the treatment of osteoporosis

ACPE Activity Type: Knowledge-based

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this program, the learners will be able to:

1. Evaluate the importance of specific risk factors such as age, gender, and race on the overall development of osteoporosis
2. Discuss the impact of low vitamin D levels in patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis 
3. Develop strategies to combat common reasons for nonadherence to bisphosphonate therapy
4. Determine specific circumstances where a drug holiday may or may not be appropriate in patients being treated for osteoporosis for more than 5 years 

ACPE Activity Type: Knowledge-based