A group of UK osteoporosis specialists have published national guidelines for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis to provide evidence based recommendations on issues not dealt with by current guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The National Osteoporosis Guideline Group has updated previous guidelines from the Royal College of Physicians after taking account of advances in the management of osteoporosis over the past few years, including new techniques for measuring bone mineral density, better methods for assessing the risk of fracture, and new treatments that reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures.

The resulting guidance is supported by professional and patients’ organisations in the field, including the Royal College of Physicians, the National Osteoporosis Society, and the British Society of Rheumatology.

Juliet Compston, professor of bone medicine at the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, said, “Essentially we …