By Our correspondent
Asians are at high risk of Osteoporosis. More than half of the world’s cases of hip fractures due to decreased bone mass will be reported from Asia by 2050, up from around 30 per cent in 1990.
This data was shared by experts addressing a seminar organised by the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Chapter of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) here on Saturday.
Of the 6.25 million hip fracture cases expected by 2050, about 3.25 million or 52 percent will be in Asia. In Asia, as in many other parts of the world, there is a lack of key data needed to convince policymakers that osteoporosis is a serious burden on the population and that it makes sense to invest in prevention measures.
Prominent orthopaedic surgeons including Dr. Aamer Nur, Dr. Rizwan Hameed Malik and Dr. Mansoor Ali Khan urged the government to launch a public awareness campaign about the disease on the pattern of HIV and malaria. They recommended that a ‘case-finding’ approach be adopted and subjects at high-risk of fractures should be identified and treated.
Osteoporosis leads to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures, especially of the hip, spine, and wrist. Fracture rates increase rapidly with age. The disease, which afflicts women more than men, is characterised by decrease in bone mass, causing bones to become brittle and break easily. Osteoporosis is a condition characterised by low bone mineral density, micro architectural deterioration of bony tissue, and a consequent increase in fracture risk. It is a silent condition, and in the absence of a fragility fracture, is diagnosed by measuring bone mineral density (BMD), using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
BMD is performed when the diagnosis of osteoporosis is in doubt or when it would affect patients’ compliance or decision to undertake treatment. The elderly with fractures and multiple risk factors may not require scanning for initiating drug treatment, but BMD measurements may be useful to encourage a patient to remain on relatively expensive medications. Apart from women over 65 years old, the group which would benefit most from a scan are those under 65 years old who have multiple risk factors, such as a history of fracture, cigarette smoking and family history of fractures, the experts informed.
Between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of patients sustaining a hip fracture die within a year of the event, and among those who survive, almost two-thirds remain disabled. The specialists said up to 50 per cent women would sustain an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lives.
Osteoporosis can be prevented with lifestyle advice and medication. The results of the Asian Osteoporosis Study suggest that many lifestyle factors might be associated with osteoporosis.