Singapore study finds osteoporosis going undiagnosed

Article by Straits Times

Singapore study finds osteoporosis going undiagnosed among older men with chronic conditions

SINGAPORE – A local study of male seniors with chronic conditions showed that those with osteoporosis often went undiagnosed until they suffered bone fractures.

Among those who did get diagnosed, some went without medication for up to a year – a missed opportunity to reverse the situation and rebuild bone health before possibly debilitating fractures happen.

“Our findings show that older men with chronic diseases face a double jeopardy – their underlying conditions increase fracture risk, and bone health evaluation is routinely neglected during their medical care,” said Clinical Associate Professor Tan Ngiap Chuan, director of research and the Primary Care Research Institute at SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP).

Prof Tan is the main author of the study, published in the Archives of Osteoporosis in September 2024.

Osteoporosis – a disease characterised by an increased fracture risk due to the deterioration of bone tissue – is traditionally associated with women, who face a higher risk due to hormonal changes during menopause.

The SHP study analysed the records of 17,644 men aged 65 and above who have diabetes, hypertension and/or hyperlipidaemia, and were treated for these chronic conditions at SingHealth polyclinics between 2017 and 2018.

Of these patients, 403 or 2.3 per cent suffered from osteoporosis, but 22 of them were not formally recorded as diagnosed with the disease even after they suffered a fracture or their bone mass density results showed osteoporosis.

Prof Tan said that while the cause of osteoporosis is not fully understood, it is known that the disease can be slowed and possibly reversed through medication as well as lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intake, consuming adequate calcium and vitamin D, engaging in regular weight-bearing exercises such as walking, and effective management of chronic health conditions.