IOF Audit Warns 31% of Indians Will Be Over 50 by 2050, Raising Fracture Risk
Updated
Updated · Hindustan Times · Sep 25
IOF Audit Warns 31% of Indians Will Be Over 50 by 2050, Raising Fracture Risk
1 articles · Updated · Hindustan Times · Sep 25
Summary
India’s fragility-fracture burden is set to rise as 21.2% of the population is already over 50, with that share projected to reach 31% by 2050, the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s Asian Audit says.
The audit links that risk to osteoporosis’s “silent” progression: bone loss builds over years and often first appears after a minor fall causes a hip or spine fracture.
Hip fractures can trigger hospitalization, surgery, prolonged immobility and loss of independence, while a previous fragility fracture is described as the strongest predictor of another break.
The report argues prevention must start early because peak bone mass is built in adolescence and early adulthood, making osteoporosis a lifelong bone-health issue rather than only an old-age disease.
It urges a shift in India from treating fractures after they happen to prevention through risk-based DXA screening, exercise, adequate calcium and vitamin D, and fall-proofing homes.