KARACHI, Oct 18: The incidence of osteoporosis or brittling of bones is rising in the country. This was stated by a panel of experts at a news briefing on Thursday in which they underscored the need for a mass awareness to prevent the disease.

They said prevention of the problem was imperative because of the limited financial resources at the disposal of a majority of the people given the cost-intensive treatment of the disease.

The sedentary lifestyle or poor physical activities, smoking, increased consumption of tea and low calcium diet were the main reasons behind the onset of the disease, they added.

The panel of experts, consisting of Prof Nusrat A Khan, Dr Zaki Idrees and Dr Shahid Noor, was headed by Osteoporosis Society of Pakistan president Dr Akhtar Ahmed.

They said that 200 million women worldwide were suffering from osteoporosis, with an estimated one-third of them between the age of 60 and 70, and two-third aged 80 or older.

They said that owing to the improved rate of average life span in the country, people were increasingly becoming exposed to ailments unheard of previously and which were further aggravated due to easy availability of luxuries, restricting physical activity and increased popularity of junk food.

The experts asked the parents to be more careful of the eating habits of their children to ensure that the food they eat contained calcium and Vitamin D — necessary for developing bone mass.

One women in three and one man in eight over the age of 50 would suffer a fracture caused by osteoporosis, unless they go for treatment, they said.

The number of hip fractures worldwide due to osteoporosis was estimated to rise from 1.7 million in 1990 to 6.3 million by 2050, and 50 per cent of them would be in Asia alone, they mentioned.

It was stated that one in four women, who experienced an osteoporosis-related hip fracture, would require long-term nursing home care. Half of those would be unable to walk without assistance.

While the disease affects a substantial number of men, osteoporotic fractures occur more commonly in women due to important post-menopausal changes in bone metabolism and because of the fact that women live almost one-third of their lives after menopause. Other risk factors include smoking, low body weight, long-term use of steroids, history of fracture, high alcohol intake, and physical inactivity.

There is an impending potential for an osteoporosis “epidemic” based on demographic changes throughout the world including unprecedented increases in the number of the elderly, according to a study by the WHO.

Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissues, which results in weak the bones that are prone to fracture, or by the presence or history of an osteoporotic fracture. Much like cells of the skin, bone is continuously resorped (removed) and replaced, keeping the skeleton strong and healthy.

However, for women approaching and following the onset of menopause, the balance of bone removal and reforming begins to shift, and more bone is lost than replaced. The continuing imbalance often results in osteoporosis.

The age at which overall bone loss commences is approximately 40 years for both men and women. For women, at the time of menopause there is an acceleration of bone loss to a rate twice that of men. Over time, women with osteoporosis can lose up to half of their bone mass. Studies have shown that even a ten per cent loss in bone mass at the spine can double the risk of spinal (vertebral) fractures, and a 10 per cent loss at the hip increases the risk of hip fracture by 2.5 times.

The major physical consequence of osteoporosis is fracture of the hip, spine and wrist caused by thinning and weakening of the bones following menopause. Osteoporotic fractures may cause disfigurement and disability, preventing participation in daily activities and increasing dependence on others. It is only within the last decade that osteoporosis has been recognized as a serious and preventable disease, a progressive, systemic disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue.

According to the experts, quick, painless, non-invasive tests are available to assess the bone mineral density (BMD). Studies have shown the correlation between bone fracture risk and low BMD to be even stronger than the correlation between elevated cholesterol and coronary heart disease or between hypertension and stroke. Although standard X-rays can detect fractures, they cannot reliably detect bone loss until at least 30 per cent of total bone mass has been lost and the disease is well advanced.

The BMD test is the only accurate method to assess a person’s risk of future fractures. Women who are concerned about their risk for osteoporosis should consult their doctors whether a BMD test might be appropriate for them. Treatment decisions should be based on clinical evaluation including risk factors and bone mineral density.