Osteoporosis is clearly a preventable and treatable disease. In contrast to the prevailing attitude not long ago, there is now a mood of optimism that this major public health problem will soon be brought under control. For this to occur, however, the clinician must take an active role, by identifying those patients who are at increased risk for developing osteoporosis and instituting appropriate interventions. The papers presented in this volume summarize the state of our knowledge in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
