“Don’t bend to Osteoporosis” – Prevention is the best cure 83 percent of all spinal fractures are caused by Osteoporosis

According to various studies, Osteoporosis affected population in India would be around 25 million. 20 percent of women and 10-15 percent of men aged above 50 are Osteoporotic. But Osteoporosis, a disorder characterized by a decrease in the density of bone and bone mass resulting in fragile and weak bones, is largely under diagnosed and under-treated in India. The problem is particularly worse in rural and semi-urban areas. In urban regions, Osteoporosis is widely prevalent due to poor lifestyle pattern of the people. In general, 83 percent of all spinal fractures are caused by Osteoporosis. Spinal fractures could be easily treated if the patient reaches the spine surgeon on time with procedures such as Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty.

The theme of the World Osteoporosis Day, which falls on the 20th of October this year, is “Don’t bend to Osteoporosis”. This is an important day for informing and educating the general public as well as the health care personnel about the prevention of a disease, which still suffers from poor general awareness.

Dr. Mahesh Bijjawara, Spine Surgeon, Jain Hospital & Member of Association of Spine Surgeons of India [ASSI] said, “The major Osteoporotic fractures occur in the spine, wrist and the hip bones. Between 25% and 60% of women, aged over 60 years develop spinal compression fractures. There are two interesting features about the Osteoporosis in India - the high incidence among men and the lower age of peak incidence as compared to Western countries. The incidence of Osteoporotic hip fractures is 1 woman: 1 man in India, while in the Western world, it is 3 women: 1 man. And in most Western countries, while the peak incidence of Osteoporosis occurs at about 70-80 years of age, in India it afflicts those at age 50-60.”

Dr. Rajagopalan, Spine Surgeon, St. John’s Hospital & Member of Association of Spine Surgeons of India [ASSI] said, “During puberty and adolescence the skeleton takes up calcium avidly and builds up its reserves. This uptake of calcium into the bone is largely dependent on calcium and vitamin D nutrition, as well as exercise. The strength of the bone is built during two decades of life – from onset of adolescence to about age 30. Hence, the best prevention for Osteoporosis is to build strong bones and maximize peak bone mass before early adulthood. From the mid-thirties, there is a gradual, progressive bone loss, which continues throughout life and is accelerated at the menopause in women.”

None of the available treatments for Osteoporosis are complete cures. Therefore, prevention of Osteoporosis is as important as its treatment. The most important prevention measures are lifestyle changes including quitting cigarette smoking, curtailing excessive alcohol intake, exercising regularly, and consuming a balanced diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D. It is recommended that any individual who has had a recent fragility fracture, all women of age 65 and older, post-menopausal women younger than 65 years and men over 50 years with risk factors (thin body morphology, low body weight, history of fragility fracture, family history) contact their physician to undergo CT BMD test.