Singapore has the highest number of osteoporotic fractures in Asia yet many Singaporean postmenopausal women are leaving it to after they have had their first fracture before taking preventive action!
Dr. Kevin Yip, Orthopaedic Consultant from Gleneagles Hospital, is encouraging postmenopausal women to see the OSTA guide below and decide whether they need to undergo bone mineral density (BMD) screening.
The OSTA test will determine if a postmenopausal woman is at high, moderate or low risk of having a low bone density. Although Osteoporosis affects men as well, osteoporosis is more prevalent in postmenopausal women as they lose up to 20% of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause.
Studies show that one in every five patients usually dies within the first year after a hip fracture. Of those who survive, more than half will lose their ability to walk and will end up bedridden or wheelchair-bound.
According to Prof. Lau Tang Ching, President of The Osteoporosis Society of Singapore, “For osteoporotic patients, where the bone density has begun degenerating, medication is necessary as Osteoposis is a progressive one. In a normal situation, drinking your milk and eating your cheese and sunning yourself for vitamin D will be good measures to build bone health but will not be sufficient when you are identified with osteoporosis. When faced with this, you need to medicate under doctor’s supervision.”
In the last three decades since 1960s, the number of osteoporotic hip fractures in Singapore rose five-fold per 100k population in women over the age of 50.
We are offering a special price on a Bone Mineral Density scan which is used to determine your risk of getting osteoporosis. The usual price is more than $280 but we have available a limited number of sponsored scans whereby you need only pay $168 for a spine and hip scan including a specialist’s consultation with the doctor for explanation of your result of the scan.
Currently, this is offered to our patients who are above 45 years old. If you are interested, please make an appointment with us. The vouchers will be issued on a first-come first-served basis as there are limited quantities.
