36 million osteoporosis patients by 2013: Doctor

Coimbatore: Osteoporosis, which is the single largest cause for spinal fractures, is expected to impact over 36 million people, majority of them women, by 2013 in the country, an eminent doctor claimed today.

Quoting different surveys both in India and the US, Dr S Rajasekaran, President, Association of Spine Surgeons of India told reporters here that at present the country has nearly 28 million osteoporosis patients, of which 80 per cent are women and it is expected to move up by another five million in just 12 to 14 months.

Stating that 20 per cent of women and 10 to 15 per cent men above 50 suffered from osteoporosis, he said despite 83 per cent of all spinal fractures occurring due to osteoporosis, the disease significantly lacked the required awareness, diagnosis, preventive and treatment measures.

Commemorating World Osteopororis week, beginning from tomorrow, the ASSI is carrying out a campaign, with an objective to sensitise people about symptoms and significance of early diagnosis and right treatment of the disease that impairs quality of life of patients,Rajasekaran said.

Unfortunately, despite the marked improvement that medical science has made over the decades, Indian patients suffer from a fear psychosis and prefer leading their life in pain rather than getting the right treatment, Rajasekaran lamented.

Procedures like balloon Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty when performed on right patients by a trained physician can lead to miraculous improvement in patients` quality of life, he said.