15 communities simultaneously launched free osteoporosis clinics. HSN facilitates the “China’s osteoporosis experts’ opinions” them science popularization project
Osteoporosis is one of the serious social problems faced by the aging society. However, there are still many misunderstandings and gaps in the public’s understanding of it. On March 23, the “China’s osteoporosis experts’ opinions” science popularization project free clinic event was held simultaneously in 15 communities in 6 districts of Guangzhou, including Haizhu, Baiyun, Panyu, Huangpu, Yuexiu, and Liwan, benefiting nearly 10,000 residents. The event was hosted by Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Nearly 50 medical staff and volunteers from the Department of Orthopedics and General Medicine of the hospital went deep into the community to screen the general public for osteoporosis using LINGLONG AI DXA Machines and provided them with professional bone health guidance.
It is understood that this community free clinic, osteoporosis and fracture risk survey will be used as important data sources to form “China’s osteoporosis experts’ opinions” to help promote early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of osteoporosis patients, and to promote the improvement of bone health of all citizens.
Free clinical treatment held simultaneously in many communities and the research results will form “China’s osteoporosis experts’ opinions”
“I often have low back pain and leg pain. Do I have osteoporosis?” “I suspect that I have osteoporosis. What tests should I do?” “I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. What should I pay attention to in my daily diet?” At the Mingcui Plaza, Guangzhou site for the “Keep bones healthy & stay young” theme “China’s osteoporosis experts’ opinions” science popularization project, medical staff patiently answered questions raised by the public. In addition to answering questions on site, the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and General Medicine of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University also worked with community doctors to popularize health knowledge about osteoporosis to residents who came for treatment and carried out osteoporosis risk tests for them.
According to statistics, the prevalence of osteoporosis ranks first among the five major diseases of middle-aged and elderly people. It seriously endangers the health of the elderly and has become one of the serious social issues of widespread concern in the world today. As China’s aging population deepens, osteoporosis, as an aging disease, has attracted more and more attention from all walks of life. At present, China has become one of the countries with a high incidence of osteoporosis in the world, with approximately 90 million patients, accounting for approximately 7% of the total population. Data provided by the Chinese member units of the International Osteoporosis Foundation show that the annual incidence rate of fractures due to osteoporosis in China exceeds 9%, which has a trend of increasing every year.
In response to the call of the “Healthy China 2030” Planning Outline and to practice the “three reductions and three health” healthy lifestyle, the Chinese Medical Association’s Healthy World magazine and the Beijing Hongyi Medical Development Foundation jointly launched the “China’s osteoporosis experts’ opinions “Science popularization project. The project convenes experts in the field of osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and based on the results of on-site community free clinic surveys and the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Osteoporosis 2022 Edition, Consensus on the Clinical Application of Vitamin D and Its Analogues and China’s Bone Health Science Guide and other documents, compiled popular science articles on “Expert Opinions on Osteoporosis in China” and conducted publicity and promotion, helped to promote early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment of osteoporosis patients, and facilitated the improvement of bone health for the entire population. Community free clinics, osteoporosis and fracture risk surveys are very important components of the project’s data sources. Guangzhou is the first stop, and free clinics activities will also be held in Beijing and Shanghai in the future.
In order to attract more residents to understand and participate in this free clinic activity, each community health service center uses the family doctor platform and the radiation network of community residents committees to deliver free clinic information to community residents in advance, which has provided residents with the opportunity to obtain relevant knowledge on osteoporosis prevention, treatment, and management through community free clinical treatment, and also laid a solid foundation for the implementation of the concept of “being the first person responsible for one’s own health.”
The current situation of prevention and control is not satisfying.
The prevention and treatment process of osteoporosis should cover the entire life cycle
Professor Ding Yue, the leading expert in the free clinical treatment in Guangzhou and the director of the Orthopedic Surgery Department of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, pointed out that as the aging of the population accelerates, osteoporosis has received increasing attention. Currently, about 90 million people have been diagnosed with osteoporosis in China. If people with reduced bone mass are included, the number of people has exceeded 200 million. However, the current status of osteoporosis prevention and control in China is not satisfying, and there are still many misunderstandings and gaps in the public’s understanding of the disease.
“Community is the basic unit of urban public services and urban governance. The three-level osteoporosis prevention and control network based on community health service centers will effectively promote the development of osteoporosis prevention and control. It is the unshirkable social responsibility of medical science and technology workers to disseminate authoritative, scientific and accurate medical science knowledge and improve public health literacy. “Professor Ding Yue said.
Strong bones are the key to maintaining human health, and the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis should be throughout life. The main prevention and treatment goals of osteoporosis include improving bone growth and development and promoting ideal peak bone mass in adulthood; maintaining bone mass and bone quality to prevent age-related bone loss; avoid falls and bone fractures. As a basic supplement for bone health, adequate vitamin D can increase intestinal calcium absorption, promote bone mineralization, maintain muscle strength, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falls.
Calcium and vitamin D supplementation are particularly important for bone health. A cross-sectional study of healthy people in five major cities in my country showed that up to 88.3% of the people surveyed were vitamin D deficient. Regarding ordinary vitamin D and active vitamin D (such as calcitriol and alfacalcidol), the public has relatively little knowledge about their use and efficacy.
The imported original drug Rocaltrol, as a classic osteoporosis drug, can effectively increase BMD, prevent falls, and reduce the risk of fractures. In order to make it easier for more patients to purchase osteoporosis drugs, we have set up a purchase channel on the official account “Almighty Bone Guardian”.
“Almighty Bone Guardian” is primarily based on the WeChat official account, with a project mini-program for convenient and quick online medication purchase, free re-diagnosis and prescription as main services, along with additional services such as pharmacy navigation, electronic medical records, and patient education column.
During the free clinical treatment, the hospital’s expert team and volunteers explained the osteoporosis knowledge in detail to the citizens who came for consultation, and used the LINGLONG AI DXA Machine to provide free BMD test for them. Many citizens expressed that through this event, they gained a deeper understanding of osteoporosis and paid more attention to their bone health.
Our goal is to let more people understand osteoporosis and pay attention to bone density testing, so as to prevent and detect early osteoporosis. We will continue to participate in similar free clinical treatment across the country and use our technology and services to contribute to public health.
