Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
MORE FUNDING and research needs to be conducted to gauge the extent of osteoporosis in Jamaica, says Dr. Verna Brooks-McKenzie, president of the Jamaica Osteoporosis Society.
"This really is a silent epidemic. Worldwide, up to one in five men and one in three women are at risk for getting an osteoporatic fracture. We want to collaborate with other agencies to seek funding for several projects, including research, to see how widespread this is in our multi-ethnic population," she said during the launch of the Jamaica Osteoporosis Society on Friday night at the Hilton Hotel in New Kingston.
Dubbed 'a silent killer', osteoporosis refers to the loss of bone mass, which, if left undiagnosed and untreated, results in brittle bones and bone fractures, disability and even death. It affects both women and men although women are up to four times more likely to be affected.
The condition usually affects the spine, the wrist or the hip and affected persons can lose between three and 10 inches of height because of spinal fractures. Dr. Brooks-McKenzie said research was needed, given Jamaica's
history of using the contraceptive method of depo provera, which some medical experts say could be linked to osteoporosis.
It also limits a person's ability to move freely and do routine tasks such as brushing teeth. In fact, data from countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Germany showed that deaths from osteoporatic fractures (which often affect the elderly) had a rate similar to deaths caused by stroke, according to Professor Christopher Gallagher. He is the director of the Bone Metabolism Unit, endocrinology and internal medicine, Creighton University Medical School in Nebraska, USA, and was guest speaker at Friday's launch of the society.
