Asia

Although projections indicate that more than 50% of all osteoporotic hip fractures in the year 2050 will occur in Asia, there are many serious health issues in this region which will compete with osteoporosis for scarce health resources. IOF works closely with its member societies in Asia in order to bring osteoporosis awareness to the fore. With some 23 national societies in 13 Asian countries, IOF is working with its members to develop the IOF Asia Program - a program of work and activities across all the IOF program areas: Science, the IOF Family, Promoting Policy Change, and Outreach and Education. A meeting of the Asian national societies will be held in December 2006 in order to formulate the program and its implementation, and further information will be available on this website after that time.

In Asia, as in many other parts of the world, there is a lack of key data needed to convince policymakers that osteoporosis is a serious burden on the population and that it makes sense to invest in prevention measures. In order to put together the necessary statistics, IOF members in Indonesia and the Philippines are currently working to develop White Papers for their countries. It is hoped that work on this project will be completed by July 2007. Please follow this link for further information regarding the template for, and development of, national White Papers.

In addition, three of Asia's largest, most economically-active countries are receiving IOF support to promote changes in health care policy for the benefit of people with osteoporosis. The IOF Targeted Support Program is aimed at the development of three-year programs in India, Indonesia and Vietnam, Asian countries which are, respectively, the world's second, fourth and 14th most populous countries. Each of these countries is experiencing dramatic economic growth, and the expanding and ageing population is putting increased pressure on government health care systems. Please follow this link for further information on the IOF Targeted Support Program.

Key facts and statistics for this region

Osteoporosis affects an estimated 75 million people in Europe, USA and Japan (1).
It is projected that more than about 50% of all osteoporotic hip fractures will occur in Asia by the year 2050 (9,26)
Vertebral fractures are as frequent in Asian as in white women (155,156), whereas hip fractures are less prevalent in Asians (157).
China: There is a higher incidence of hip fractures in men than women in China (158,159,160).
China: From 1988 to 1992, the incidence of hip fractures in Beijing increased by 34% in women and 33% in men (158).
Hong Kong: In Hong Kong Chinese, the prevalence of vertebral fracture was 17% in men (163) and 30% in women (156).
Hong Kong: The incidence of hip fracture has increased by 200% in the last 3 decades (162).
Hong Kong: In 1996, the acute hospital care cost of hip fracture per year amounted to $17 million (161).
India: Expert groups peg the number of osteoporosis patients at approximately 26 million (2003 figures) with the numbers projected to increase to 36 million by 2013 (164).
India: In a study among Indian women aged 30-60 years from low income groups, BMD at all the skeletal sites were much lower than values reported from developed countries, with a high prevalence of osteopenia (52%) and osteoporosis (29%) thought to be due to inadequate nutrition (203).
Japan: The prevalence of osteporosis in the Japanese female population aged 50-79 years has been estimated to be about 35% at the spine and 9.5% at the hip (157).
Japan: New hip fractures increased a dramatic 1.7-fold in the 10 years from 1987 to 1997 (165).
Japan: The total number of hip fractures is forecast to be 153,000 per year in 2010 and 238,000 in 2030 (212),
Korea: The occurrence of hip fractures increased about 4-fold over 10 years (1991-2001) (166).
Korea: The number of hip fractures after 75 years of age was 4.3 per 1000 in women and 2.97 per thousand in men (167).
Singapore: Compared to the 1960's, hip fractures in women have gone up 5 times in women and 1.5 times in men (168).

Guidelines

IOF does not, at present, have knowledge of national or regional osteoporosis guidelines for Asia. If you are a national society and your country or region has evidence-based guidelines that you would like to include on the IOF website, please contact Prof. J. E. Compston at jec1001@cam.ac.uk

IOF does not officially endorse national or regional guidelines. This is because osteoporosis prevalence and some aspects of the prevention and treatment of fractures are country or region-specific. There may be multiple guidelines from any one country or region.

See listing of national and regional guidelines around the world, including references and links to full text.