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Qatar / Health

HMC encourages public to step up for bone health

Published: 23 Oct 2022 - 08:59 am | Last Updated: 23 Oct 2022 - 09:01 am
Dr. Samar Al Emadi, Head of Rheumatology Department at Hamad Medical Corporation

Dr. Samar Al Emadi, Head of Rheumatology Department at Hamad Medical Corporation

The Peninsula

Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation’s Rheumatology Department has urged the public to be aware and step up for their bone health as part of raising awareness of osteoporosis — a silent disease that is vastly underdiagnosed and undertreated.

The occasion of World Osteoporosis Day (WOD 2022), observed on October 20, under a new theme this year: “Step Up for Bone Health” is an opportunity to educate the public about risk factors of osteoporosis and to encourage them to be aware of their bone health and be physically active to prevent the disease.

“A bone-healthy lifestyle is vital for strong bones and a fracture-free future. This is why for the WOD 2022 campaign, we are aligning with key messages from the International Federation for Osteoporosis (IOF) urging the public, to ‘step up for bone health.’ The IOF is also emphasising the important role of targeted exercise programs and bone-health diet. Our campaign locally is also targeted at healthcare professionals as we urge them too to ‘step up’ by ensuring that people at fracture risk have timely access to diagnosis and treatment,” explains Dr. Samar Al Emadi, Head of Rheumatology Department. 

The IOF literally describes osteoporosis as ‘porous bone’. It says it is a condition where bones become thin and lose their strength as they become less dense and their quality is reduced. This can lead to broken bones, which cause pain and disability. Broken bones due to osteoporosis can be life-changing, with a serious impact on quality of life, mobility, and independence. Osteoporosis is often called the ‘silent disease’ because most people don’t know they have the disorder until they break a bone after a minor fall or bump.

“According to the IOF, around the world, one in three women and one in five men over the age of fifty will suffer a broken bone due to osteoporosis and that fractures caused by osteoporosis can be life-threatening and a major cause of pain and long-term disability,”  Dr. Al Emadi notes.