LAHORE, Oct 27: Osteoporosis Society of Pakistan President Dr Akhtar Ahmad has said the incidence of the bone ailment is significantly increasing as population of the world is growing in size as well as living longer.

Osteoporosis, a disease in which the density and quality of bones are reduced which leads to weakness of skeleton and increases risk of fracture, is affecting approximately one in three women and one in five men over 50 years of age.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the 7th national symposium, organised by the OSP in connection with the World Osteoporosis Day at a local hotel on Saturday, Dr Ahmad said this year the day was being celebrated with a theme: “Beat the Break”.

He said osteoporosis was a global public health problem because the disease and its associated fractures were important causes of morbidity and mortality affecting millions of people worldwide. He said the disease not only reduced life expectancy, but also affected quality of life.

He said the loss of bone occurred progressively over many years and without apparent symptoms, and often the first sign of osteoporosis was a fracture. For this reason, he said, it was often referred to as the “silent epidemic”.