Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone density and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue with a consequent increase in bone fragility (4). Early osteoporosis is not usually diagnosed and remains asymptomatic; it does not become clinically evident until fractures occur. Loss of bone density occurs with advancing age and rates of fracture increase markedly with age, giving rise to significant morbidity and some mortality (5). Osteoporosis is three times more common in women than in men, partly because women have a lower peak bone mass and partly because of the hormonal changes that occur at the menopause. Estrogens have an important function in preserving bone mass during adulthood, and bone loss occurs as levels decline, usually from around the age of 50 years. In addition, women live longer than men (6) and therefore have greater reductions in bone mass.
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