March 4/Karachi, Pakistan/The Express Tribune -- At the 22nd Biennial International Convention of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), Dr. Mansoor Ali Khan, associate professor at Indus Hospital, gave a presentation on the diagnosis and treatment options for osteoporosis. He refuted the notion that the disease is most common in menopausal women and said that different factors lead to the disease in both men and women. “It is a pediatric disease with a geriatric outcome.”
According to a report, 3.2 million is the projected number of osteoporosis patients in Asia by 2050. Here, calcium and vitamin D are essential. “Vitamin D is not just a vitamin, it’s a steroid,” he said. Milk in Europe and other parts of the world is vitamin D fortified, but not in Pakistan. In fact, paan or betel leaf and chaaliya or betel nut has enzymes which break down vitamin D in the body. The good news is that a fair amount of exposure to the sun can help make up for the deficiency. However, there is no consensus on the appropriate intake of vitamin D and thus it is should be monitored.