JEDDAH: About 40 percent of Saudi women, especially those between the age of 52 and 62, suffer from osteoporosis, a condition of decreased bone mass that makes one’s bones brittle, weak and more susceptible to fractures.
Dr. Wafa Faqeeh, director of the National Association for Women’s Care, estimated that treating the disease in the Kingdom would, by 2010, cost SR6 billion.
She said that the condition is serious and that there is a need to create awareness among women to encourage them to take precaution against the illness.
She added that her association organized a campaign recently with the help of the Ministry of Health to raise awareness about the disease.
“The two-week campaign targeted Saudi women and society in general. Since osteoporosis has no alerting symptoms, early diagnosis is important,” she said.
The symptoms can be in the form of a fracture in the wrist, spine or hip. The condition can be diagnosed by measuring the density of bones with the help of specific devices, and by testing both blood and urine, Faqeeh said.
Prevention includes following a diet that is rich in calcium and protein in addition to exercising and quitting smoking. “It is important for women, especially in the menopause age, to periodically test the density of their bones,” she stressed.
According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), osteoporosis affects one in two post-menopausal women and one in three are likely to suffer fractures. The study showed that even in advanced countries, such as the US, an estimated 10.1 million women have osteoporosis, a figure that is expected to rise by about 40 percent by 2020.
The Saudi Osteoporosis Society’s website reported that the illness reached epidemic proportions in Western countries, affecting one in every three women over 50.
