HONG KONG (The Standard), May 9, 2005:
Osteoporosis should be a prime concern as one in three women over 50 suffer from it, a doctor said.
One in five men in the same age group also suffer from the fragile bone disease, said Chinese University professor of community and family medicine Edith Lau.
Osteoporosis is characterized by a decrease in bone mass and density, leading to fragile bones.
Lau is also president of the Asian Pacific Osteoporosis Foundation founded in 1999 and a member of the Swiss-based International Osteoporosis Foundation to increase awareness and understanding of osteoporosis, motivate prevention and treatment and promote research.
According to Census and Statistics Department figures, there are about 990,000 women and 950,000 men over 50 in Hong Kong. That means at least 330,000 women and 190,000 men have osteoporosis.
Since the disease can remain undetected until the latter stages, patients could be paralyzed, or even die, due to hip or other bone fractures resulting from falls.
Lau said the main problem is that there has not been a tailor-made questionnaire for Asians to assess the risks of having the degenerative disease.
``Most of the assessment questionnaires are for Westerners. There is no risk assessment for Asians,'' said Lau.
``A lot of factors, such as the endocrine system, the absorption of calcium and consumption of milk, are not being considered in the existing questionnaires.''
The foundation has put forward a questionnaire that caters to Asians' body type and is hoping health authorities will make it available to patients in public hospitals and clinics.
Lam Oi-na, 57, said she did not know she had osteoporosis until three years ago, when she began falling a lot.
``I used to walk fast, but my hip and spine started to hurt a few years ago. Sometimes it is so excruciating that I have to lie down to relieve the pain,'' she said.
People who are underweight, smoke or take steroids for a long period are more at risk of having the disease.
Lau said most of those at risk from osteoporosis can lower the risk of serious bone fractures within a year of diagnosis.
``The questionnaire is just an assessment, so high-risk candidates are advised to seek a doctor's advice.''
Copyright 2005, The Standard Sing Tao Newspaper Group Global China Group.
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