Osteoporosis currently affects 25 million people in the United States, and as the baby boomers enter their fifties, this bone-weakening disease is poised to strike millions more. Because of this disease, many older people will suffer from a bone fracture at some point , and far too many of these fractures will result in permanent disability. The good news is that this devastating "silent epidemic" is entirely preventable, and in The Osteoporosis Book, readers of all ages will find everything they need to know to slow, stop, and even reverse the bone loss that causes this crippling disease. Written by Dr. Nancy E. Lane, a leading investigator and clinician in the field of osteoporosis, it is an indispensable guide to the exciting medical breakthroughs that have taken place in the past few years--in bone density measurement, in estrogen therapy, and in our knowledge of the bone cycle--that now allow doctors to predict who is at risk and to monitor these individuals in their fifties, before a fracture occurs. Readers learn to evaluate--and whenever possible, eliminate--the risk factors in their own lives. "What vitamins should I take? Is hormone replacement therapy right for me? And what about exercise?" The answers are here. And for those already affected by osteoporosis, Dr. Lane provides the most effective and up-to-date medical and practical advice available anywhere for coping with its aches and pains and safeguarding against further deterioration. Impeccably researched and reassuringly accessible, The Osteoporosis Book empowers readers to make informed healthcare choices that will enhance the quality of their lives for decades to come. It has been endorsed by the National Osteoporosis Foundation.