The number of women with osteoporosis, ie, with reduced bone mass and the disruption of bone architecture, is increasing in India. While data on prevalence of osteoporosis among women in India come from studies conducted in small groups spread across the country, estimates suggest that of the 230 million Indians expected to be over the age of 50 years in 2015, 20%, ie, ~46 million, are women with osteoporosis. Thus, osteoporosis is a major public health problem in Indian women. Low calcium intakes with extensive prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, increasing longevity, sex inequality, early menopause, genetic predisposition, lack of diagnostic facilities, and poor knowledge of bone health have contributed toward the high prevalence of osteoporosis. Bone health may be optimized by creating an environment to achieve peak bone mass during adolescence, maintenance of healthy bone throughout the life cycle, and prevention of bone loss postmenopausal. In Indian women, calcium, vitamin D, and bisphosphonates are the commonest first-line therapies used. The use of other drugs such as hormone replacement therapy, estrogen agonists, calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, and denosumab is decided as per the affordability and availability of treatment options. Major gaps still remain in the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis, thus highlighting the need for more structured research in this area. This review focuses on the epidemiology of osteoporosis in Indian women and available treatments.

Dietary calcium deficiency is considered to be widespread globally, with published estimates suggesting that approximately half of the world's population has inadequate access to dietary calcium. Calcium is essential for bone health, but inadequate intakes have also been linked to other health outcomes, including pregnancy complications, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Populations in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at greatest risk of low calcium intakes, although many individuals in high-income countries (HICs) also do not meet recommendations. Paradoxically, many LMICs with lower calcium intakes show lower rates of osteoporotic fracture as compared with HICs, though data are sparse. Calcium intake recommendations vary across agencies and may need to be customized based on other dietary factors, health-related behaviors, or the risk of calcium-related health outcomes. The lack of standard methods to assess the calcium status of an individual or population has challenged efforts to estimate the prevalence of calcium deficiency and the global burden of related adverse health consequences. This paper aims to consolidate available evidence related to the global prevalence of inadequate calcium intakes and associated health outcomes, with the goal of providing a foundation for developing policies and population-level interventions to safely improve calcium intake and status where necessary.

Dietary calcium intake modifies the relationship between serum 25OHD concentrations and intact serum PTH concentrations. Thus, dietary calcium intake should be taken into account when assessing an individual's vitamin D status.

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Percentile curves for triceps skinfold thickness developed in the present study would be useful in the assessment of adiposity and the risk of hypertension in Indian children.