A diabetic is one whose blood sugar is high either because the body does not produce enough insulin or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Diabetes can damage one’s eyes, kidneys and nerves. It can also lead to heart disease, stroke and even limb amputation.
In Asia, researchers from National University of Singapore (NUS) have also found that there is a link between diabetes and osteoporosis, which is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. The data obtained in the study showed that Asians with diabetes experience an increased risk of osteoporotic hip fracture, just like the diabetics in the West.
This is the first Asian study on the correlation between diabetes and osteoporosis, and its findings, which were published in May 2010 in ‘Diabetes Care’, a journal by the American Diabetes Association, were identical to the combined results of 11 previous studies done in the West.
Using the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a cohort study of more than 63,000 Chinese aged between 45 and 74 years, researchers examined the link between the 2 conditions. Established between 1993 and 1998, the study followed the participants for 12 years. Interviews were used to get the diabetes status and the number of hip fractures was identified through a nationwide hospital discharge database.
There was significantly more women had hip fractures: out of about 1,200 cases of hip fracture, there were 871 women, compared to 342 men. Meanwhile, the risk of hip fracture among people with diabetes was found to be twice that among those without diabetes.
While the participants were all Chinese, the researchers confirmed that the link so found could also exist across different populations with varying lifestyle or genetic make-up. In other words, the results in the study will apply to Malays and Indians too.
It is hoped that the findings could alarm the public so that doctors who manage diabetes and diabetic patients themselves will test for osteoporosis early to cut down the risk of hip fracture.
This information is indeed very helpful. It would warn doctors and patients themselves, especially those with diabetes, to look out for early symptoms of osteoporosis. Not only that, diabetic patients could also get advices from doctors on how to avoid getting afflicted with osteoporosis because prevention is always a better cure. As for diabetic Asians who already suffered from osteoporosis and had undergone hip replacement surgery to correct it, I hope they were able to avoid being victimized by the DePuy hip replacement recall.
ReplyDeleteThis study is really informative as it associates diabetic medication may cause hip fractures which is the subject of the study.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting study and finding these correlations might help prevent or even warn certain groups with higher risk of hip fractures. It is interesting that women have more then double chance of hip fracture then men, based on this study. The findings of this study should reach every doctor and they should warn their female patients with diabetes about possible hip fracture problems.
ReplyDeleteI think depuy hip recall lawyer out there should read this study, this would truly be helpful.
ReplyDeleteI will surely recommend this article to those depuy hip recall patients affected.
ReplyDeleteAw. Should we hear hip class action cases again?
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