Doctors warn on bone disease

UAE doctors are calling for more osteoporosis screening after a recent audit found a shortage of machines to detect the disease.

DUBAI // Doctors have called for increased osteoporosis screening after an audit revealed a shortage in the number of machines to detect the disease.

Dr Mustafa al Izzi, president of the Emirates Osteoporosis Society, conducted the audit as part of a global study by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF).

"There were many aspects involved in this audit, and one of those factors is how many dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (Dexa) machines are available in the UAE," Dr al Izzi said.

The IOF recommends one machine per 10,000 population. However, the audit revealed that the Emirates has only one machine per 100,000, or one tenth the recommended number. The audit also discovered that many machines were not used to their full potential.

"We found that there were approximately 60 Dexa machines across the UAE ... the reality is that we still need more," Dr al Izzi said. "Even the more developed countries do not meet the IOF's recommendation, but what we also saw in the UAE was that the machines we do have are not used fully."

Dr al Izzi said the high cost of the machines could explain their limited availability. One Dexa machine costs Dh102,609, according to Absolute Medical Equipment in New York.

Osteoporosis, sometimes referred to as brittle-bone disease, causes bones to lose density, making them weak and susceptible to fractures.

"Osteoporosis is not regarded as a major health problem, and our mission is to push policymakers to allocate more resources, because it affects a large segment of the population," Dr al Izzi said. "It is a silent disease, one that physicians tend to find out about after a fracture occurs, especially in elderly people."

Dr al Izzi said that women above the age of 50 and men above the age of 60 should be screened for loss of bone density, so they could be treated early to avoid fractures.

"There has to be greater awareness among physicians, but also among patients who need to come forward and have their bone density measured," he said.

Dr Humeira Badsha, a rheumatologist and expert in osteoporosis at Al Biraa Clinic in Dubai, said: "Patients need to request the test, and doctors have to remind them to take the test."