By Jovanda Biston

Osteoporosis can lead to fragility fractures (from low trauma) resulting from a fall from standing height or less.

Dr Lau Tang Ching, a senior consultant at National University Hospital's division of rheumatology, said that fractures of the hip or spine among the elderly can lead to premature death and loss of mobility.

He said that the incidence of osteoporosis-induced hip fractures in Singapore has increased 4 1/2-fold since the 1960s. As the population of Singapore is ageing rapidly, osteoporosis is likely to become an increasingly important health problem.

The World Health Organisation said that hip fractures are the most serious form of fracture associated with osteoporosis: they nearly always require hospitalisation, are fatal about 20 per cent of the time and patients become permanently disabled about half the time.

Fracture rates increase rapidly with age and the risk of fracture in women over 50 is about 40 per cent, similar to the risk for coronary heart disease. In 1990, there were 1.7 million hip fractures worldwide. With changes in population demographics, this figure is expected to rise to six million by 2050.

Dr Leonard Koh, a consultant endocrinologist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, said women are more prone to osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures for several reasons including:

- The peak bone mass attained in women is generally lower than in men.

- Women undergo menopause, resulting in accelerated bone loss.

- Women tend to live longer, hence there are more elderly women than men.

- Elderly women may have a weaker muscular system in their bodies than elderly men and hence they have a greater tendency of falling.

This story was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times, on Oct 16, 2008.

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