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Fracture rates rising in Asia | There has been a dramatic increase in the number of fracture cases throughout Asia, finds a new study. A new audit report released by the International Osteoporosis
Foundation (IOF) showed that osteoporosis is a serious and growing problem throughout
Asia. It showed that the incidence of hip fracture has increased 2-to 3-fold in
most Asian countries over the past 30 years and half of the world's fractures
will occur in Asia by 2050. The report also debunked the myth that osteoporosis
is rare in Asia as compared to Western countries. Over the past four decades the
number of hip fractures increased by 300pct in Hong Kong, and by 500pct in Singapore.
In Japan the number of fractures in people over 75 increased dramatically over
the span of 12 years. However, in mainland China, formerly considered a 'low risk'
area, almost 70 million people over the age of 50 suffer from osteoporosis, resulting
in some 687,000 hip fractures per year. According to the experts, widespread vitamin
D deficiency and low calcium intake may be in part responsible for the alarming
increase in osteoporosis. At present most treatments, prevention and education
efforts are limited to urban areas, whereas people in rural areas have little
knowledge of osteoporosis or access to prevention programs, and diagnostic and
treatment facilities. In the most populous countries like China and India, the
majority of the population lives in rural areas (60percent in China), where hip
fractures are often treated conservatively at home instead of surgically in hospitals.
This leads to premature death for as many as one in five, immense personal suffering,
lost productivity and long-term dependence on family members. IOF urges immediate
government action to prevent the rising tide of fractures. |
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