When the government actively faces the burden of osteoporosis: the Italian experience.

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COSTS OF FRAGILITY FRACTURES IN ITALY: The problem of osteoporosis is emerging as growing phenomenon, with an enormous impact on quality of life and on health expenses. As a consequence, a reduction in the social and health impact of bone fragility would be associated with an improved quality of life of all elderly citizens and with valuable cost savings at the health system level. OSTEOPOROSIS: EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT IN ITALY: In the last 20 years, there have been enormous advances in the knowledge of diagnostic and therapeutic options and thus we would be in the position of starting effective therapies in at risk populations. However, this not always happens. NEW APPROACHES TO THE FRAGILITY FRACTURES BY THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT: In this paper we offer to the reader the possibility to know the history of osteoporosis, its diagnosis and its therapy in Italy, a country where life expectancy is one of the highest in the world. THE FUTURE OF OSTEOPOROSIS IN ITALY: We hope that the example of Italy would serve as an inspiration to those countries where the history of osteoporosis only recently began.