Osteoporosis in Veterans With Chronic Alcohol Use: An Early Recognition and Treatment Program

Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, and 34 million have been diagnosed with low bone mass, placing them at risk for developing the disease.(1) If this trend continues, the prevalence of osteoporosis is anticipated to increase to > 61 million people by 2020.(1) Historically, osteoporosis was a disease associated with elderly, white women.(2) Although fracture rates in women have improved, fracture rates in men continue to increase and with fractures occurring at an earlier age.(3)