15/06/2025

ON SUNDAY JUNE 15, 2025 VI theSunday Special Y OU won’t hear your bones complain when they begin to weaken. There’s no throbbing pain, no warning bell. You’ll still carry your groceries, climb the stairs, maybe even play a bit of bad minton with your grandchildren. Then, one day, a minor fall or even just bending FDQ OHDG WR D IUDFWXUH WKDW¶V GL̇ FXOW WR recover from. Only then does osteoporosis become noticeable.

has already been done. Osteoporosis, by GH¿QLWLRQ LV WKH ORVV RI ERQH PDVV DQG deterioration of bone tissue. As bones become porous and fragile, the risk of fractures – especially in the hip, spine and wrist – rises sharply. The condition does not discriminate, but some groups are more vulnerable than others. Women, especially after menopause, experience accelerated bone loss due to declining oestrogen levels. People with smaller frames, low body weight, a sedentary lifestyle or a family history of osteoporosis are also at higher risk. So are those taking certain long-term medications, including steroids. Despite this, many people still believe osteoporosis is something that only hap pens to “very old” people or assume that breaking a bone is just bad luck, not a medical issue waiting to be addressed. Jeyakantha added that many patients ZKR KDYH DOUHDG\ VX̆ HUHG D IUDFWXUH DUH not diagnosed with osteoporosis and do not receive adequate treatment to prevent further fractures. “This highlights the urgent need for prevention strategies to be rigorously undertaken.” Bone loss does not happen overnight. It begins silently in your 30s and picks up speed by the time you hit 50, especially if your lifestyle isn’t bone-friendly. The good news is that it can be slowed down and even partially reversed with the proper habits.

In Malaysia, osteoporosis is a silent HSLGHPLF ,W D̆ HFWV WKRXVDQGV SDUWLFXODUO\ postmenopausal women and older adults, but is rarely talked about with the urgency it deserves. “Osteoporosis in Malaysia is highly underdiagnosed and undertreated. The majority of patients present at a stage when they have already sustained a fragil ity fracture and this is not desirable and should have been prevented,” said Associ ate Professor Dr Jeyakantha Ratnasingam, president of the Malaysian Osteoporosis Society. He warned that rates in Asia, includ ing Malaysia, are projected to be higher than in many other regions if awareness remains low. According to the latest Malaysian Clini cal Practice Guidelines on the Manage ment of Osteoporosis, the condition is a growing public health issue, exacerbated by late diagnosis and low public aware ness. The reality? By the time most people realise their bones are brittle, damage

Strong bones for the long haul In Malaysia, osteoporosis is often overlooked until a serious fracture forces it into the spotlight. But ageing bones can be strengthened and it starts with awareness

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BY SIMON VELLA

Osteoporosis in Malaysia is highly underdiagnosed and undertreated. The majority of patients present at a stage when they have already sustained a fragility fracture.”

Jeyakantha, president of the Malaysian Osteoporosis Society