Media

Treatment, Prevention and Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Osteoporosis in Asia Osteoporosis Centre, Dept of Medicine, HKU

10 May 2001

Osteoporosis is a growing health problem in Asia but the condition is grossly under-diagnosed and treated. Characterised by reduced bone volume and decreased mineralization, osteoporosis results in significant morbidity, loss of mobility and decreased quality of life. In celebration of the first anniversary of the Osteoporosis Centre, the University of Hong Kong is organizing a scientific symposium on 12th May 2001. Experts from various Asian countries will gather to discuss about the management of Osteoporosis in Asia. This Asian Expert Panel Meeting aims at achieving some consensus and establishing guidelines for the management of osteoporosis in Asia.

According to statistics, it is estimated that half of the world's fracture will occur in Asia by the year 2050. Although the incidence of osteoporotic fractures in Asia is still relatively low when compared to figures in Western countries, it is expected that if no preventive measures are to be taken, fracture incidence will rise steeply in the coming 50 years. Already in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, the incidence of hip fracture has increased by almost 3-fold in the past 30 years.

The University of Hong Kong at Queen Mary Hospital is the first institution in Hong Kong to establish a centre for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis for Hong Kong patients. Established in April 2000, the Centre has already performed approximately 1,000 bone density assessments in the past one year. Treatment of osteoporosis in Hong Kong, as in the rest of Asia, is faced with a lot of difficulties including a lack of awareness of the disease as well as a lack of resources. The diagnosis relies on using bone densitometer machines which are not widely available. In Hong Kong roughly only 20 such instruments are installed. Bone ultrasound machines are relatively cheap but its usefulness in monitoring response to treatment has not been validated. Majority of the at risk patients do not have the chance to be screened and treated. More urgently is that patients who already sustained osteoporotic fractures may not receive adequate treatment against future fractures. The Asian Expert Panel Meeting hopes to achieve a consensus for some unified approach for the management of Osteoporosis in Asia.

A press conference will be held to release the consensus statement, followed by a ceremony for the first anniversary of the centre. The guests of honour for the ceremony include the Hon Dr Wing-Lok Lo, President of Hong Kong Medical Association and Prof Shiu-Kum Lam, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong.

The details of the press conference and the ceremony as follows:-
Date : Saturday, 12 May 2001

Time : 12:00 noon – 1:00pm (press conference)
2:00 – 2:15pm (ceremony)

Venue : Sung Room II, 4th Floor (press conference)
Ballroom, 3rd Floor (ceremony)
Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Tower, 20 Nathan Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Members of the media are cordially invited to attend the press conference and the ceremony. The Asian Experts as well as patients with osteoporosis will be available to meet with the press for interview.