KUWAIT: Up to 35 percent of Kuwaiti women aged above 50 suffer from osteoporosis and recurrent fractures, said Dr Nadia Al-Ali, the head of the endocrine ward at the Amiri Hospital and President of the Kuwait Osteoporosis Society, adding that the percentage among male citizens stands at 20 percent. Speaking in a statement on the World Osteoporosis Day which falls today, Dr Ali affirmed that proportion of the osteoporosis cases among the Kuwaiti women is one of the highest on the global scale.

"The proportion of osteoporosis among women in Kuwait is very high by international standards; estimated at 35 percent of female citizens," she warned. This condition is generally serious because the rupture happens on a large scale in the hips and thighs, she said, adding that the fractures may cause severe pain and lifelong impairment. There are some 200 million osteoporosis patients worldwide.

The illness is a main cause for breaking bones of some 8.9 million people per year. Moreover, one out of three women worldwide suffers from the ailment, in addition to one out of five men. It is called the "silent disease" because many people have not been diagnosed or gotten remedy. The Kuwaiti society, due to spread of the coronavirus, will launch an enlightenment campaign via the social media this year, it announced. - KUNA