One in three women in the Emirates is at risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease that causes fragile bones and can sometimes be fatal, according to a study to be released today.
The research, released in conjunction with World Osteoporosis Day, was conducted on 50,000 women in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait since the beginning of last year. The women were approached in public venues, such as malls, and offered free bone screening. Half of those in Saudi Arabia were at risk, while the average across the region was two out of five.
When low bone density develops into osteoporosis, bones become brittle and more likely to break. The most serious are hip and spine fractures; overall they take longer to heal in osteoporosis patients, with 20 per cent of people dying and 50 per cent left with a permanent disability. Spinal fractures can also cause compression and lead to “dowager’s hump”, a mostly untreatable and painful ailment.
Yet the disease is “entirely preventable”, said Joanne Todd, a nutritionist and a researcher at Anlene, a line of dairy products fortified with vitamin D that backed the study.
Vitamin D, which is produced by exposure to sunlight and through diet and helps the body absorb calcium, is essential for strong bones. Low levels – common to the region – can lead to a host of health problems including osteoporosis
Because of the heat, many people in the UAE tend to stay out of the sun. And whatever the weather, many women cover up when outside their homes according to cultural and religious beliefs.
Generally, however, vitamin D levels can be boosted to healthy proportions with small amounts of sun exposure – and supplements.
However, women need to be particularly careful as they age because the oestrogen levels in their body drop after menopause, making it more difficult for their bodies to process the calcium.
“It is important to build up the bones before menopause and to have a high calcium intake after to prevent it from being lost from the bones,” Ms Todd said.
Anlene’s findings show the situation has not improved from last year, when a similar number of women – 27 per cent – showed similarly low bone-mass results.
Dr Humeira Badsha, head of the Dubai Bone and Joint Centre, said the results showed the situation “remains dire” and is only set to get worse with an ageing population.
“There is an urgent need to raise awareness, especially among women who are extremely susceptible to osteoporosis,” he said. “As the population in the UAE ages, more women will be affected by this crippling disease.”
Source: The National