High Risk of Osteoporosis

Iranians are at high risk of developing osteoporosis, due mainly to unhealthy diet, low milk consumption and lack of physical activity, head of Elderly Research Center, affiliated to the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Dr. Ahmad Delbari said. “The average per capita milk consumption in Iran is 100 kilograms per year. This is while western Europe and North America have an average per capita consumption of approximately 300 kilograms,” he said, Mehr News Agency reported. Moreover, Iranians on average consume more than 40 liters of carbonated soft drinks each year. The phosphoric acid and caffeine in soft drinks can also harm bone health, he added. Osteoporosis is a chronic skeletal disease that causes reduced bone mass and deterioration of the bone micro architecture, resulting in an increased risk of fracture. The elderly population-specially women- accounts for most of the burden as their bones are weaker.  “Osteoporosis is one of the main causes of bone fractures among the elderly. On average, about 25% of hip fractures in elderly are fatal,” said the expert.