An estimated 20 million people in Bangladesh are suffering from bone erosion while 40 per cent of women, aged between 16 and 45 years, have low bone density.
According to a study, around 5.6 million people are also suffering from osteoporosis.
Women suffer from the same than men, it revealed.
Osteoporosis is the porous and brittle condition of the bone, which causes an increased chance of fracture.
Commonly, osteoporotic fractures take place in spine, hip and wrist, and it usually cannot be identified before fracture.
According to the study, brittle bone is a 'serious disease' and it even causes death.
Some 24 per cent of the fracture patients died last year while the number of hip fractures might reach 6.3 million by 2050, it disclosed.
"The number of osteoporotic patients will overtake that of heart patients very soon. So, osteoporosis is a bigger threat than heart disease in future," it said.
One in every three women and one in every five men above 50 years would suffer from osteoporotic fracture.
Osteoporosis often starts silently and may not be found until fracture. Osteoporosis or its early sign 'osteopenia' weakens bone and increases risk of bone breaking.
Symptoms are back pain, caused by fractured or collapsed vertebra, loss of height over time, a stopped posture and a bone fracture that occur much more easily than expected.
Intake of calcium, vitamin D and other vitamins like magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin K, vitamin B and vitamin B12 all support bone health.
Average intake of calcium a day a person should be 1000 milligram, but it is only 303 milligram in Bangladesh.
About 1.0 per cent people in Bangladesh have sufficient vitamin D level of 30-50 nanogram while 97 per cent have vitamin D level of 10-29 nanogram.
Besides, around 82 per cent post-menopausal women here have lower level of vitamin D in blood, according to a study.
