Elderly people are encouraged to exercise more and increase their intake of vitamin C, a Taipei doctor has said, citing the high number of elderly Taiwanese with osteoporosis.
A growing number of people aged 50 or older, most of them women, have osteoporosis, family physician Shen Yi-ling (沈怡伶) said, adding that in serious cases the condition can lead to a fractured hip or femur.
“Bone deterioration is a chronic condition that worsens with age,” she said.
From 2016 to last year, the prevalence of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol in Taiwan steadily decreased from 25 percent to 10 percent, but the number of those with osteoporosis remains high, at nearly 30 percent of those aged 50 or older, Shen said.
“It is clear that Taiwanese are eager to prevent high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as diabetes, but they haven’t been as aggressive in dealing with osteoporosis,” she said, adding that most people think that bone degeneration is an inevitable result of aging.
If older people with osteoporosis fall and fracture a femur or hip, it is a problem, because they can contract an infection while they are bedridden, she said.
People at an advanced age are at a high risk of dying within a year of a bone fracture, Shen added.
People at the highest risk of death or other complications resulting from a broken bone are those with a body mass index of less than 18.5, who do not exercise enough, and those with a history of bone fractures, long-term steroid use, smoking or drinking alcohol, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or thyroid problems, she said.
After menopause, women’s bones tend to degrade faster, and women are especially affected by osteoporosis as they tend to live longer than men, Shen said.
People taking medication for osteoporosis are advised to take vitamin D3 and calcium, which can double the effectiveness of the medication, she said.
However, even younger people should reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis by eating more dairy products, dried fish, sesame seeds, green vegetables, mixed nuts, oranges and kiwifruit, she added.
Sunlight is also important, as it helps the body synthesize vitamin D3 and improves its absorption of calcium, she said, adding that people should get 10 to 20 minutes per day of sun exposure.
Regular exercise also helps improve bone density, muscle strength and coordination, which can help prevent falls, Shen said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost