MEDICAL SCIENCES
Addressing the Osteoporosis Care Gap in The Asia-Pacific In the Asia-Pacific there are significant inconsistencies in clinical practice guidelines for the management and prevention of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. These guidelines vary in scope and recommendations. To address this, in early 2021, APCO launched The APCO Framework – the first pan-Asia-Pacific clinical practice standards for the screening, diagnosis, and management of osteoporosis. M Chandran, Senior Consultant and Director, Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Unit, Singapore General Hospital M Chadha, Consultant Endocrinologist, P.D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre Q Cheng, Chief Physician and Doctoral Supervisor, Department of Osteoporosis and Bone Disease, Huadong Hospital
A significant challenge to overcome
The survival of those who sustain an osteoporotic fragility fracture is significantly compromised for up to six years, with patients facing twice the risk of death within the first year. Furthermore, a prior fracture at any site doubles a person’s risk of refracture. In the Asia-Pacific alone, an overwhelming 319 million people aged 50 years and over are projected to be at risk of osteoporotic fracture over the next three decades. More than 50 per cent of the world’s hip fractures are expected to occur in the region by the year 2050. The Asia-Pacific is home to 4.5 billion people, a rapidly ageing population, and vastly different healthcare systems. Given the anticipated, exponential growth in fragility fractures due to
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