16 May 2009
MUSCAT -- "Osteoporosis cases in the Middle East are rising, not to be taken by awe, at a galloping speed", says Prof Samir A El Badawy, Professor of Rhematology and Rehabilitation at the Cairo University. "A middle aged woman who stepped in to a clinic complaining of her clothes getting looser than before and was found getting shorter as days passed would definitely prove to be suffering from osteoporosis which is a silent disease. Though the life-span has improved in the past decade and will continue so, in all the studies, many of the osteoporosis patients' life span is shorter between one to three years," El Badawy said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of Novartis Pharma's new drug, Aclasta® (zoledronic acid 5 mg solution for infusion), a yearly treatment for osteoporosis, here. He says that old age is the most important factor for this disease. "Apart from those who have a family history of this disease, middle aged people mostly women who tend to lose the agility of their bones after menopause, smokers, people drinking carbonated drinks, those leading a sedentary lifestyle, people who don't include enough calcium in their diet, and those who are not exposed to sun are highly prone to osteoporosis".
He said. "It's high time that the concerned authorities have to take on to some awareness campaigns and precautionary measures for the public. Drinking a glass of milk everyday can cut down the prevalence of osteoporosis between 30-40 per cent. Also, those who take medicines for other diseases which can lower the calcium level should be encouraged to take more calcium supplement and vitamin D". Osteoporosis is a disease of bone in which the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is reduced, and bones are at high risk of fracture.
Basically, the rate in which essential minerals are being lost or released (resorped) from the bone is much faster than the rate of minerals being absorbed to keep the bone healthy and strong. The condition affects approximately 50 per cent of post-menopausal women worldwide and is especially prevalent in the Middle East, due to poor diet, lack of exercise and other lifestyle factors. According to some studies, almost 20 per cent of women who experience a hip fracture die within one year.
Aclasta® is a bisphosphonate (BP) that is administered as a once-yearly infusion. Company officials claimed that the pre-clinical and clinical data supported the effectiveness and safety of this agent, and patient-preference surveys indicated that once-yearly therapy with Aclasta is preferred to weekly therapy with an oral bisphosphonate. It provides an important therapeutic option for ensuring adherence and persistence with treatment in women with post menopausal osteoporosis.
MUSCAT -- "Osteoporosis cases in the Middle East are rising, not to be taken by awe, at a galloping speed", says Prof Samir A El Badawy, Professor of Rhematology and Rehabilitation at the Cairo University. "A middle aged woman who stepped in to a clinic complaining of her clothes getting looser than before and was found getting shorter as days passed would definitely prove to be suffering from osteoporosis which is a silent disease. Though the life-span has improved in the past decade and will continue so, in all the studies, many of the osteoporosis patients' life span is shorter between one to three years," El Badawy said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of Novartis Pharma's new drug, Aclasta® (zoledronic acid 5 mg solution for infusion), a yearly treatment for osteoporosis, here. He says that old age is the most important factor for this disease. "Apart from those who have a family history of this disease, middle aged people mostly women who tend to lose the agility of their bones after menopause, smokers, people drinking carbonated drinks, those leading a sedentary lifestyle, people who don't include enough calcium in their diet, and those who are not exposed to sun are highly prone to osteoporosis".
He said. "It's high time that the concerned authorities have to take on to some awareness campaigns and precautionary measures for the public. Drinking a glass of milk everyday can cut down the prevalence of osteoporosis between 30-40 per cent. Also, those who take medicines for other diseases which can lower the calcium level should be encouraged to take more calcium supplement and vitamin D". Osteoporosis is a disease of bone in which the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is reduced, and bones are at high risk of fracture.
Basically, the rate in which essential minerals are being lost or released (resorped) from the bone is much faster than the rate of minerals being absorbed to keep the bone healthy and strong. The condition affects approximately 50 per cent of post-menopausal women worldwide and is especially prevalent in the Middle East, due to poor diet, lack of exercise and other lifestyle factors. According to some studies, almost 20 per cent of women who experience a hip fracture die within one year.
Aclasta® is a bisphosphonate (BP) that is administered as a once-yearly infusion. Company officials claimed that the pre-clinical and clinical data supported the effectiveness and safety of this agent, and patient-preference surveys indicated that once-yearly therapy with Aclasta is preferred to weekly therapy with an oral bisphosphonate. It provides an important therapeutic option for ensuring adherence and persistence with treatment in women with post menopausal osteoporosis.
By Kabeer Yousuf
© Oman Daily Observer 2009
