World Osteoporosis Day looks to promote awareness
IT MAY come as a surprise to discover that one the greatest burdens to the health service, in terms of women’s health – above those of strokes, breast cancer and heart disease – is osteoporosis.
Every 30 seconds somewhere in the world a person breaks a bone as a result of the ailment, with one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 affected by the disease.
In Europe, the annual cost for treating osteoporotic fractures is in excess of 25 billion euros, with 790,000 people suffering a hip fracture every year.
And yet awareness of the issues surrounding the disease is remarkably low. Dr. Joseph Joseph, who is Vice President of the Cyprus Society Against Osteoperosis, spoke to the Cyprus Mail to explain the issues that surround the disease, and to promote World Osteoporosis day, which takes place today.
When asked about the size of the problem in Cyprus, Dr Joseph said, “We haven’t had studies to show how many people suffer from osteoporosis in Cyprus.”
He added that the disease is something of a “silent epidemic”.
“You don’t know you suffer from it until it’s too late and you’ve broken a bone.”
Osteoporosis affects the regeneration of bones. Someone suffering from the disease will gradually experience a loss in the density of his or her bones, increasing the risk of fracture.
Broken bones may sound fairly harmless when compared with illnesses such as breast cancer or heart disease, however the figures suggest otherwise. One in three people over the age of 75 do not survive more than six months after having hip fracture surgery, and the loss of mobility, independence and quality of life are also commonly associated with the disease.
“What we are trying with world osteoporosis day is to provide people with the correct information and raise the awareness of people to osteoporosis,” Dr Joseph said.
Although the disease is to some extent hereditary and race related (Hispanics and Caucasians are at higher risks) there are still many simple things that can be done to minimise the possibility of suffering from the illness.
Eat healthily, don’t smoke, avoid heavy drinking and ensure enough calcium is in your diet.
Further information can be found on the IOF website (www.osteofound.org).
