can a piece of jewellery improve or even save your life?

can a piece of jewellery improve or even save your life

Can a piece of jewellery improve or even save your life?

No doubt, you have a rather good idea about how much money you have in your bank account at any given time. And, if your bank balance was in the red, more than likely, youd be worried about it.

Equally important, but usually forgotten, is your bone bank balance. Theres a reason osteoporosis is called the silent disease: few people detect it early enough, and in terms of importance, its often considered a distant second to other health priority conditions such as cancer or mental health.

Despite previous publicity, osteoporosis ' a disorder where bones become very fragile and more likely to fracture or break ' does not just affect old ladies[1]. Peak bone mass (PMB) ' the amount of bone mass and strength at the end of skeletal maturation (which is determined by both genetic and environmental factors) ' is a key indicator in terms of risk of developing osteoporosis[2]. According to studies, PMB is generally attained during ones late 20s to early 30s[3] (an age when most people are thinking more about their bank balance than bone bank balance).

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa (NOFSA), one in three women, and one in five men over the age of 50, will develop an osteoporotic fracture within their lifetime[4]. About four million South Africans2 may be affected by osteoporosis, and this number is expected to rise significantly in the coming years.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, similar to muscle mass, bone strength starts to decline earlier than anticipated, decreasing by an average rate of 1% per year after the age of 40[5]. So, we have a limited window of opportunity to build our so-called bone bank and prevent fractures later in life.

The concern around fractures is not just about limited mobility and the associated inconvenience. According to NOFSA, one in five patients die within one year of a hip fracture and less than 50% of patients can live independently after a fracture[6].

It has been stated that men have a higher risk of fracture from osteoporosis than prostate cancer, and osteoporosis fractures in women are more common than breast and cervical cancer combined[7],[8].

THE BONE THIEF

To make the invisible visible, NOFSA and Cipla South Africa have partnered to educate people on how to prevent osteoporosis, the importance of early detection and disease management.

Bone is a living tissue, meaning it is constantly broken down and replaced. A bone mineral density (BMD) test or bone density scan (DXA) is a safe, painless way to measure how much calcium and other minerals are in your bone and knowing your risk for developing osteoporosis. High risk factors include diabetes, chronic malnutrition diseases (e.g. anorexia nervosa), poor nutrition, HIV, ethnicity, certain medication, or family history[9].

As a way of drawing attention to this critical issue and getting people to go for BDM tests, the osteoporosis campaign introduces a limited range of eye-catching bone density jewellery range - printed to mirror a persons unique bone density imagery. The jewellery is not only a conversation starter, but a tangible reminder to prioritise and improve your bone health through some lifestyle changes.

CEO of NOFSA, Teréza Hough, has stressed the importance of health professionals referring high risk patients for BMD testing: The NOFSA is 30 years old now. The myth that osteoporosis is a little, old white ladies disease is still out there. Its a myth we need to dispel because from the latest research we know that all our population groups are affected by osteoporosis. People are not aware enough about this fact. Everyone can get osteoporosis.

Healthcare providers need to know the risk factors for developing osteoporosis: for example, if you have a patient who has asthma and is on cortisone every day, they should be referred for a BMD test, Hough says. Screening for risk factors that may affect bone health should be incorporated in any health screening. We do cardiac screening, diabetes and breast cancer screening, so why cant we look after our bones too?

IMPROVE YOUR BONE BANK CREDIT SCORE

It is extremely important to educate people about osteoporosis risk factors. So how do you ensure your bone bank balance is healthy? Treat it like you would treat your actual bank account:

  • Manage your expenses: Stop all risky behaviours or minimise your lifestyle risk
  • factors such as smoking, lack of calcium, lack of weight-bearing exercise and excessive alcohol consumption.
  • Savings and Investments: Tip on how to invest in the future of your bones:
  • Get enough Vitamin D, which helps the absorption of calcium from food
  • Eat healthy (leafy green veggies such as broccoli or spinach, nuts and oily fish)
  • Consume plenty of dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese and butter)
  • Compound interest: Weight-training exercises and walking[10]

By encouraging people with risk factors to have a bone density test, patients stand a better chance of dealing with osteoporosis before its too late. We are an ageing population. We only have about 10 million people over the age of 50 at this time, so in 20-30 years time, the stats are concerning around people who will develop hip fractures.

Hough says NOFSA are also also promoting the use of the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX), which predicts the 10-year risk of hip and major osteoporotic fractures based on various risk factors.

Cipla South Africa CEO, Paul Miller, adds: We need to change the mindset around a so-called silent but very debilitating, degenerative disease by raising awareness around risks and encouraging the necessary tests or scans. As part of our ethos of caring for life, we want to ensure that younger people make their bone health a priority, and prevent fractures later in life.

About Cipla South Africa

Cipla Medpro South Africa (Pty) Limited (Cipla South Africa) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cipla Limited, India (Cipla) and 3rd largest pharmaceutical company in South Africa. Through Ciplas ethos of Caring for Life, Cipla South Africa produces world-class medicines at affordable prices for the public and private sectors, advancing healthcare for all South Africans.

For more information, visit www.cipla.co.za

About Cipla

Established in 1935, Cipla is a global pharmaceutical company focused on agile and sustainable growth, complex generics, and deepening portfolio in our home markets of India, South Africa, North America, and key regulated and emerging markets. Our strengths in the respiratory, anti-retroviral, urology, cardiology, anti-infective and CNS segments are well-known. Our 47 manufacturing sites around the world produce 50+ dosage forms and 1,500+ products using cutting-edge technology platforms to cater to our 86 markets. Cipla is the 3rd largest in pharma in India (IQVIA MAT July23), 3rd largest pharmaceutical company in South Africa (and 2nd largest in the Rx sector) (IQVIA MAT July23), and is among the most dispensed generic players in the U.S. For over eight decades, making a difference to patients has inspired every aspect of Ciplas work. Our paradigm-changing offer of a triple anti-retroviral therapy in HIV/AIDS at less than a dollar a day in Africa in 2001 is widely acknowledged as having contributed to bringing inclusiveness, accessibility, and affordability to the centre of the HIV movement. A responsible corporate citizen, Ciplas humanitarian approach to healthcare in pursuit of its purpose of Caring for Life and deep-rooted community links wherever it is present make it a partner of choice to global health bodies, peers, and all stakeholders. For more, please visit www.cipla.com.

Organisation : Tribeca Public Relations