Last week, countries around the world celebrated International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to empowering women, and taking a closer look at all aspects of their wellness. However, in this regard health care specialists had bad news to report to the women of the UAE: You’re at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis than men.
And the bad news keeps on coming for Emirati women, as according to a senior doctor from the UAE Ministry of Health (MOH), you are at a higher risk than expatriate women of developing the disabling medical condition. Osteoporosis is a silent disease that can have a huge impact on your wellbeing. It causes your bones to become brittle and fragile, and often presents no warning signs until you experience a fracture in your wrist, hip or vertebrae after a minor fall.
Dr Mariam Shaker, Family Medicine Consultant and Technical Director of the Al Muhaisna Health Centre at the MOH, commented, ‘Emirati women, due to their culture [traditional dressing] and lifestyle do not get enough sunlight, a natural source of Vitamin D essential in bone building. We see a higher incidence of osteoporosis in Emirati women than expatriate women.’ She added that the MOH is in the process of gathering data and setting guidelines in osteoporosis management, but there are no figures of osteoporosis prevalence at present.
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) states that the rate of vitamin D deficiency due to inadequate sunlight is estimated to range between 50% and 90% in the Middle East – which is one of the highest rates of this deficiency in the world. However, the UAE being at an increased risk of osteoporosis is also linked to an inadequate intake of Vitamin D and calcium in their diet.
When it comes to women in general, specialist rheumatologist Dr Abdul Ameer Rashid explained that they are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than men because they have smaller bones. The condition is commonly prevalent in post-menopausal women, due to their lower levels of oestrogen – an important hormone in protecting bone density. Therefore, he said that if you are a woman over the age of 50, a quick and painless bone density scan is advisable: ‘The scan measures your bone mineral density (BMD), and takes into account age and the presence of any previous injuries before deciding on an effective treatment plan.’
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