In 1990, there were 1.7m hip fractures worldwide but this could rise to 6.3m by 2050 because of an unprecedented increase in the elderly population of Asia, Africa and South America, says the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a report published this week.
An extensive education and communication programme for health professionals and the public is proposed by WHO, to increase knowledge of bone physiology, osteoporosis, the main risk factors, prevention and management of the disease. The recommendations include having a physically active lifestyle, regularly spending time outdoors, a balanced diet that provides at least 800 to 1,500mg calcium daily, and avoiding both smoking and a high alcohol intake.
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) says that, currently, someone in the European Union suffers a hip fracture every 30 seconds as a result of osteoporosis. The annual direct medical costs of treating the 2.3m osteoporotic fractures that occur in Europe and the United States are $27,000m, it adds.
"The fight against osteoporosis has become a global social movement," Ms Mary Fraser, executive director of IOF, says. "We want to create noise about the ‘silent epidemic' and get people to realise that osteoporosis can be prevented, it can be diagnosed, and it can be treated."