Betty’s bones

Osteoporosis, like several other endocrinological conditions, is common and often goes unrecognised in older women. This article reviews the identification of women with the condition and their management.

Case scenario

Betty is 69 years old and is concerned that her bones might be ‘too thin’. Her neighbour recently had a fall and fractured her hip, and is now in a nursing home after having had a stroke in hospital. Betty remembers that her mother had a ‘widow’s hump’ and lost a lot of height in the last 15 years of her life.