Currently, China has a huge number of osteoporosis sufferers -- 90 million, or 7 percent of the total population.

Statistics from the Chinese member of the International Osteoporosis Foundation show that the incidence of fracture caused by osteoporosis exceeds 9 percent of the population in China each year, and the trend is still upwards.

October 20 is World Osteoporosis Day. Medical experts say that osteoporosis is now a major threat to people's health. The death rate of coax fracture caused by osteoporosis reaches 20 percent, and 25 percent of those who can survive for more than one year lose their mobility. Therefore, the disease has caused the global attention and been laid stress on.

Experts warn that anyone can suffer from osteoporosis. The disease can lead to other serious complications. The factors leading to osteoporosis involve heredity, nutritional imbalance, lack of activity, alcoholism, smoking and diet containing caffeine, as well as taking antibiotics, steroid hormones, diuretics, etc. for a long time.

Experts suggest that people should eat high calcium and food containing vitamin D, develop a good habit of outdoor exercises, develop a good lifestyle such as not smoking and excessive intake of alcohol, testing bone density regularly, and taking osteoporosis preventive medicines under the guidance of doctors.

(China.org.cn translated by Li Jingrong October 23, 2003)