The First Saudi Osteoporosis Forum

The word osteoporosis means “porous bone.” Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by fragile and brittle bones that are less dense than normal bones; this leads to a higher risk of bone breaks or cracks taking place than in normal bone. Osteoporosis usually shows no signs or symptoms until a bone fracture takes place; this is why osteoporosis is sometimes called the “silent disease.”

Worldwide, an osteoporotic fracture is estimated to take place every 3 seconds and a vertebral fracture every 22 seconds. Osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million women worldwide - approximately one-tenth of women aged 60, one-fifth of women aged 70, two-fifths of women aged 80 and two-thirds of women aged 90. In Saudi Arabia with a population of 1,461,401 persons aged 50 years or more, 8,768 would suffer femoral fractures yearly at a cost of $1.14 billion. Osteoporosis is a condition that can be prevented and therefore efforts are required to educate the public about the existence of osteoporosis and how to prevent it.

The First Saudi Osteoporosis Forum will take place in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 7 and 9 February 2012.