Silent disease: Beware of hidden osteoporosis risk

SINGAPORE – Madam Muthiah Vasanthakumari, 73, practices yoga every day. But in recent months he has had to avoid excessive bending or bending back.

As it is known that Madam Kumari has osteoporosis or brittle bones. This condition often occurs without any warning signs and puts patients at risk of immobilization due to spine or hip fractures.

In May, he experienced sudden, painful back pain after lifting something heavy. It turned out to be a spinal fracture.

“If I had known, I would have been more careful,” says Madam Kumari. He currently receives monthly injections to promote bone formation and is asked to walk more slowly to reduce the chance of tripping and falling.

The woman, who is married and a mother of three children, learned 13 years ago that she had low bone density, which could be a sign of osteoporosis.

Until recently, he didn’t think it would affect him much. She made sure to take calcium supplements and ate calcium-rich green leafy vegetables.

He walks regularly and takes 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day. He can climb stairs and go on pilgrimage in India’s rugged regions.

But consultant endocrinologist Caroline Hoong from Woodlands Health says: “When you are diagnosed with osteoporosis or have a broken bone due to osteoporosis, just taking calcium and vitamin D supplements is not enough.”

Treatment may also include oral or injectable medications to reduce bone loss. and promotes bone formation, adds Dr. who treated Madam Kumari. Hoong.

silent disease

The bones of people with osteoporosis often become brittle and fragile due to hormonal changes or deficiencies in calcium or vitamin D, which helps calcium be taken up by the bones, says family physician Gabriel Ding.

Dr Ding, consultant and head of Khatib Polyclinic, adds that there are often no warning signs in the early stages of bone loss. But he says: “Osteoporosis causes bones to become so weak and brittle that even mild stress, such as falling or bending over or coughing, can cause a fracture.” The most common types of fractures are in the hip, wrist and spine.

Endocrinologist Chew Chee Kian sees approximately 30 to 40 osteoporosis patients each week. Some may have experienced lower back pain or decreased height over time. But Dr Chew says osteoporosis is often a silent disease. “People may only realize they have the disease after they experience a fracture.”

Osteoporosis in Singapore is estimated to be prevalent in 0.7 percent of men over 50, according to a 2023 study in the Asia-Pacific region, says senior consultant in the department of endocrinology at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The incidence in postmenopausal women here is estimated to be 9.3 to 19.4 percent.