AUDIT SOSTOYaNIYa PROBLEMY OSTEOPOROZA V STRANAKh VOSTOChNOY EVROPY I TsENTRAL'NOY AZII 2010

This was first time when the epidemiology and burden of osteoporosis and fractures in the Eastern European and Central Asian region were studied. Aim: to study the incidence, prevalence and socio-economic burden of osteoporosis and fractures in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Methods: the analysis of published data on prevalence, risk factors and consequences of osteoporosis in 21 countries, including Russia, was performed. Results: In countries where epidemiological data is available, fracture rates are high, and vary depending on the age of the population. Osteoporosis and fractures are and will continue to be a major public health burden, escalating as the proportion of people over 50 years of age increases. In the majority of the countries under Audit there is lack of modern standards of care given for patients with osteoporosis: large proportion of hip fractures patients are not hospitalized and not surgically treated, diagnostic facilities and reimbursement policies for antiosteoporotic drugs are poor. The average daily calcium intake in nearly all countries outlined in the report falls far below the FAO/WHO recommendations. In addition the majority of populations in the region suffer from severe vitamin D insufficiency. These findings should serve to focus the attention of governments and health authorities on the devastating and growing problems posed by osteoporotic fractures in the region.