Current issues in evaluation and management of osteoporosis in Thailand

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a major public health issue in Thailand, which increased morbidity, mortality, and health-care utilization. The objective of this review is to provide current perspectives on epidemiology, evaluation and management of osteoporosis in Thailand. According to epidemiologic data, the prevalence of osteoporosis and the incidence of hip fracture were comparable to the rest of the world. However, among Thai postmenopausal women, the prevalence of asymptomatic vertebral fracture was disproportionately high. In addition to established risk factors, conditions that may affect the risk of osteoporosis in the Thai population include certain genetic variants, thalassemia, vitamin D deficiency, and low dietary calcium intake, which requires further investigations to draw conclusions. In 2021, the Thai Osteoporosis Foundation released a new Clinical Practice Guideline that provides up-to-date evidence-based recommendations for evaluation and management of osteoporosis. Nonetheless, more research is required to provide local evidence in a variety of areas to guide management of osteoporosis in Thailand. These include epidemiology of distal radial fracture, the optimal intervention threshold of the Thai-specific Fracture Risk Assessment Tool model, screening for asymptomatic vertebral fracture, and the economic evaluation of osteoporosis management options, including fracture liaison service.