'Over 20% elderly die of hip fractures'

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 colleagu, endocrine surgeon Dr Amit Agarwal highlighted the impact of various medications and cancers on bone health.