Qamar Khan could literally feel in her bones that all was not well when she left for a wedding party on a winter night.

“I could neither stand nor sit. I was in excruciating pain,” said Qamar, who, at the time, was just 48 years old. The diagnosis was osteoporosis, and doctors said she was suffering for quite some time.

“I used to have constant pain in my knees and legs but I never thought of it as a disease,” she said. “I hoped the pain will go away if I get a good night’s sleep. The X ray showed changes in bones.”

For the Khan family it was difficult to digest that at such a young age, without any family history, Qamar had developed osteoporosis.

“Doctors said that the condition cannot be reversed. She is on pain killers, but knowing that it is going to get worse with age is difficult to live with,” said Sana, her daughter.

Osteoporosis is caused due to non-absorption of calcium, resulting in a fall in bone density. This is particularly seen in women undergoing menopause, elderly people and malnourished children. This can be treated with a protein, calcium and vitamin rich diet. While it is a known disease in the elderly, its increasing incidence among younger patients is a cause of concern for the International Osteoporosis Foundation.

A landmark report recently examined the epidemiology, costs and burden 14 Asian countries. The report, authored by Dr Ambrish Mithal, President of the Indian Society of Bone and Mineral Research, established that India is second only to China as far as disease burden is concerned.

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