Osteoporosis UAE

Osteoporosis risk to one in three woman in UAE
Alison McMeans

Last Updated: October 19. 2009 10:55PM UAE / October 19. 2009 6:55PM GMT ABU DHABI // One in three women in the Emirates is at risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease that causes fragile bones and can sometimes be fatal, according to a study to be released today.

The research, released in conjunction with World Osteoporosis Day, was conducted on 50,000 women in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait since the beginning of last year. The women were approached in public venues, such as malls, and offered free bone screening. Half of those in Saudi Arabia were at risk, while the average across the region was two out of five.



When low bone density develops into osteoporosis, bones become brittle and more likely to break. The most serious are hip and spine fractures; overall they take longer to heal in osteoporosis patients, with 20 per cent of people dying and 50 per cent left with a permanent disability. Spinal fractures can also cause compression and lead to “dowager’s hump”, a mostly untreatable and painful ailment.



Yet the disease is “entirely preventable”, said Joanne Todd, a nutritionist and a researcher at Anlene, a line of dairy products fortified with vitamin D that backed the study.

Vitamin D, which is produced by exposure to sunlight and through diet and helps the body absorb calcium, is essential for strong bones. Low levels – common to the region – can lead to a host of health problems including osteoporosis.