The prevalence rate of hip fractures in Taiwan is the highest among Asian countries, the Taiwanese Osteoporosis Association (TOA) said yesterday, adding that osteoporosis is a “silent killer” that has no obvious symptoms and that the mortality rate following a hip fracture can be higher than some types of cancers.
The association on World Osteoporosis Day yesterday reminded people of bone health and osteoporosis prevention, as people can lose bone density without symptoms and have higher risk of bone fractures.
Osteoporosis is a “silent killer,” because many patients are unaware of their bone loss until they experience a fracture, TOA chairperson and Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital orthopedist Chen Chung-hwan (陳崇桓) said.
Photo: Lin Liang-che, Taipei Times
After a person experiences a bone fracture, the risk of having another bone fracture in the next three to six months increases by five times, he said.
A bone fracture also often leads to a series of complications, including bedsores, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and inflammation of a vein, Chen said, adding that being bedridden for a long time can also cause malnutrition or depression, significantly decreasing their life quality.
The prevalence rate of hip fracture in Taiwan is the highest among Asian countries and ranks ninth highest in the world, he said.
Foreign and local studies have shown that the one-year mortality after sustaining a hip fracture is estimated to be between 10 percent and 20 percent, which is relatively high — even higher than some types of cancers, Chen said.
Mortality rates in the first year after a hip fracture are between 20 percent and 24 percent, and the increased risk of dying might persist for at least five years afterwards, the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s factsheet showed.
Loss of function and independence among hip fracture survivors is profound, with 40 percent unable to walk independently, 60 percent requiring assistance a year later, and 33 percent are totally dependent or in a nursing home in the year following a hip fracture, the factsheet said.
Peak bone mass is usually achieved by the age of 25, and people start to lose bone mass past 40 years old, Chen said, adding that menopause significantly speeds bone loss, so postmenopausal women are at significant risk for osteoporosis.
If postmenopausal women have signs of “a stooped posture, loss of body height, or lower back pain,” they are recommended to get a non-invasive dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan to measure their bone density, Chen said.
He also suggested postmenopausal women, men aged 70 or older, people who are taking long-term steroid treatment, and people aged 50 or older who have experienced a bone fracture or who are at risk for osteoporosis to get bone density screening regularly.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
Instead of threatening tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, the US should try to reinforce cooperation with Taiwan on semiconductor development to take on challenges from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a Taiwanese think tank said. The administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose across-the-board import duties of 32 percent on Taiwan-made goods and levy a separate tariff on semiconductors, which Taiwan is hoping to avoid. The Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET), a National Science and Technology Council think tank, said that US efforts should focus on containing China’s semiconductor rise rather than impairing Taiwan. “Without
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
RSS