High prevalence of Osteoporosis among Indian men: Survey

Not just women, men in India have also reported high incidence of Osteoporosis as per a health survey which has claimed that over 80 per cent of 73 lakh men screened were found to have alarmingly low levels of vitamin D in their blood which is essential for maximising bone health.

New Delhi: Not just women, men in India have also reported high incidence of Osteoporosis as per a health survey which has claimed that over 80 per cent of 73 lakh men screened were found to have alarmingly low levels of vitamin D in their blood which is essential for maximizing bone health.

Osteoporosis, a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile, is associated with women in general after menopause.

According to a three-year long pan-India data mining survey (2012?2014) on vitamin D released by SRL Diagnostics, 80.63 per cent of approximate 73 lakh samples of men screened during this period had abnormal Vitamin D levels.

"East Zone had highest percentage of abnormality with 86.6 per cent being detected with lower levels of Vitamin D while northern and southern zone had 81.3 per cent and 85.6 per cent respectively.

"Among the four zones, western India showed the lowest percentage of abnormality with 69.8 per cent," the survey report stated.

The analysis on Vitamin D tests assessed nationwide abnormalities among men residing in various cities.

As per World Health Organization, Osteoporosis comes second to cardiovascular disease as a global health problem.

According to statistics, one out of eight men and one out of three women in India are affected by Osteoporosis.

An adequate calcium intake and adequate amounts of Vitamin D are important foundations for maintaining bone density, strength and to prevent osteoporosis.