Osteoporosis on the rise among elderly patients in Hong Kong

According to a report issued by the International Osteoporosis Foundation, fracture due to osteoporosis poses to be a major health issue in Hong Kong, where the aging population is increasing rapidly.

“Osteoporosis has been a major public health problem in Hong Kong, but this disease has not received due attention from the policy makers as compared to other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiac or cerebrovascular diseases and dementia,” Andrew Ho, MD, president of the Osteoporosis Society of Hong Kong, stated in an International Osteoporosis Foundation press release. “Currently, there are about 4,500 hip fractures per year, yet despite the considerable case load, osteoporosis or geriatric hip fracture has not been listed among the top 10 priority diseases in the annual plan of the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong.”

According to the report, hip fractures will have a major and costly socioeconomic impact, with $52 million in U.S. dollars being spent annually in Hong Kong for surgery and hospital care. By 2025, the elderly population is projected to increase 57% and the number of hip fracture surgeries will increase by 70% from 2009 to 2015. The report also states Hong Kong will see a rise in other osteoporosis-related fractures, including vertebral fractures.

To help decrease the risk of fractures, researchers recommend osteoporosis should be included among the top 10 health priorities. Structured and joint fracture liaison services or clinics in major hospitals should also be set up to systematically identify and offer treatment to patients with osteoporotic fractures to prevent secondary fractures. By extending treatment reimbursement criteria, patients who have osteoporosis or who are identified as high risk can start to receive treatment for free before suffering a fracture, while adequate diagnostic scan services should be provided to those patients at risk. Finally, additional resources should be devoted to developing specialty education in osteoporosis for physicians.

“In Hong Kong, osteoporosis is not recognized as a medical specialty in itself, nor is it a recognized core component of medical training,” Ho stated in the release. “This may be one reason why doctors underestimate the serious impact of osteoporosis and do not routinely prescribe anti-osteoporosis drugs, and calcium and vitamin D to those at high risk of fractures.”

References:

Asia-Pacific Regional Audit. Available at: www.iofbonehealth.org/data-publications/regional-audits/asia-pacific-regional-audit. Accessed Jan. 2, 2014.