PANAJI: Osteoporosis , the condition that causes bones to become weaker and more fragile, increasing risk of fractures, is seeing a new trend in the state. Once observed more among women in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal stage, it is now seen afflicting women in their early forties.Head of the orthopaedic department at the Goa Medical College , Dr S M Bandekar said that if they see about 100 cases of osteoporosis a month, as many as 80-85 % will be females, with most being in the younger age bracket, which is a new trend.While the condition is also seen among men, the incidence is more among women. Here, too, the state’s premier government hospital is finding that an increasing number of women are developing osteoporosis.Most of these women are in their early forties as against the earlier trend that saw the condition developing among women in the five-year period before and after menopause.The alarming news, Bandekar said was that the T-score — a test to determine a person’s osteoporosis risk — for a large number of women was -2.5. A T-score of -2.5 or below is a diagnosis of osteoporosis.“We are not alarmed by cases of senile osteoporosis, which afflicts people of advance age, but by cases where the condition is seen in women many years before menopause,” he said.Bandekar said the change could be due to modification in lifestyle. “Women, particularly working women, ignore their health. Most don’t eat a balanced diet, which is a main contributing factor,” he said, adding that a sedentary lifestyle also increases chances of developing osteoporosis.Osteoporosis can be prevented, for which people must start adopting the right measures, like bringing in lifestyle changes and taking proper medication on the advice of a consultant, he said.Earlier, women were not only physically active, but their food intake was wholesome. Today, even to cover a short distance people avoid walking preferring to ride two-wheelers instead. “Physical activity is lacking,” he said.

Stay updated with all the Latest Goa headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.