Experts to discuss bone and mineral diseases

Lucknow: Committed to raising awareness about various bone and mineral diseases in the body, the Indian Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ISBMR) will host its national convention in the city, which will be attended by experts from across India, starting Saturday.

Citing the example of osteoporosis, former head of endocrinology at SGPGI and organising chairperson Dr Sushil Gupta said, "In India, osteoporosis is the most neglected public health problem, though it affects almost 40% of postmenopausal women and nearly 20% of elderly men. Osteoporosis causes fractures, and if left untreated, it leads to further fractures. However, a lack of awareness adversely impacts the quality of life."

He added that hip fractures are notorious for causing death in almost 20-40% of elderly people. Likewise, vitamin D deficiency has been reported in about 95% of the population. "This is due to the lack of food fortification in India, and ISBMR is leading the advocacy for vitamin D fortification of milk and other food items in India," he said.

His colleague in the association, endocrine surgeon Dr Amit Agarwal, highlighted the impact of various medications and cancers on bone health. "Not only cancers, but bones are also weakened in patients with chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, organ transplants, and blood cancers. All the leading experts in India in the field of bone and mineral metabolism are attending this international meeting in Lucknow to focus on the issues arising in India," he said.