Osteoporosis is the silent disease which inflicts millions of people all over the world, and this year's topic for osteoporosis focuses a very important point revolving around the theme: “Stop at One: Make Your First Break Your Last”.
The Ministry of Health calls for taking three main steps towards prevention from osteoporosis; they are: regularly exercising, making sure of getting vitamin (D), calcium, and protein; and getting balanced feeding for this disease. However, the community is still suffering from lack of general awareness, and is in need of coordination at the awareness and education level; especially that the previous efforts exerted in the last years has remarkably and increasingly borne fruit year-to- year.
Key Facts:
- Osteoporosis fractures are more than 8, 9 million cases annually, and it is estimated that there is a fracture resulting from osteoporosis occurring every three seconds in the world.
- One of every two women and one of every five men are to become vulnerable after the age of fifties for a fracture during the rest of their life.
- Fracture cases resulting from osteoporosis for the women who are beyond forty-five, may lead to their being detained in hospital longer than the periods of other diseases such as diabetes, heart attack, and breast cancer.
- Nearly half of those who have previously sustained a fracture resulting from osteoporosis will have second fracture with the vulnerability to fractures increasing after every fracture incident.
- One of every four women sustaining a new fracture in the vertebrae will sustain another fracture after a year.
- Nearly ten percent reduction of the bone mass increases the odds of the vertebral fractures to double, and thigh fractures by 2,5 times
- By the advent of 2050, the rates of thigh fractures are to increase in men by 31% and in women by 24%.
- From 20% to 24% of that sustaining thigh fracture die during the next year of the fracture.
- More often than not, those surviving from thigh fracture suffer from the loss of the basic and independent functions: 40% of them cannot walk on their own; and 60% of them need help after a year. And during the year following the fracture, 33% of them are committed to foster care or become fully dependent on others, which heavily burdens the family members, who cannot help but provide care for their dears themselves.
- Fractures put a huge burden over the health care systems and the need to long-term care.
Statistics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
In a study conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1999, on 483 Saudi women at the post-menopause age of the age group 52 to 62 years, it was shown that the proportion of osteopenia spread is 34% and the proportion of osteoporosis is 24%.
Internationally Approved Date: 20/10/2012
Locally Approved Date: 4/12/1433H
Theme of the World Osteoporosis Day 2012:
Stop at One: Make Your First Break Your Last
Objectives and General Messages of the World Osteoporosis Day:
- To prevent from osteoporosis by focusing on three important steps:
- 1Practicing sports regularly.
- 2Making sure of getting enough of vitamin (D).
- Following a balanced diet with focusing on having calcium-rich foods.
- To provide early detection and preventive cure to prevent reaching the stage of backbone fractures.
- To raise the public awareness the risks resulting from osteoporosis.
- To shed light on the necessity of taking preventive measures for osteoporosis.
- To reinforce the health of bones through following a healthy lifestyle.
- To urge decision-makers to be interested in reducing the rates of osteoporosis injury.
Targeted Groups:
All community groups: seniors, women, children, youths, and athletes.
The most vulnerable to get injured (those who have more than one risk factor).
Physicians and physiotherapists.
Decision-makers.
Journalists and media professionals.
Logo:
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