For the first time, Mauritius has unique data on the health of its elderly population, a development made possible through IAEA support to the country on leveraging nuclear technology for the early diagnosis and prevention of ageing-associated diseases. As a result, Mauritius policy makers can utilize this information to better inform interventions that keep its elders healthy.
Sarcopenia is an age-related decline in muscle mass and function that affects older populations. The condition is associated with poor health outcomes, such as physical disability and a diminished quality of life but can prevented or at least delayed if detected early. Similarly, osteoporosis is another disease associated with ageing but characterized by weak, fragile and painful bones and affects women more commonly than men, particularly post menopause.
Mauritius faces a growing ageing population, with over 11 per cent of its people over the age 65 in 2018. Sarcopenia and osteoporosis are associated with an increased risk of hospitalization and all-round care placement in the country, with implications for public health expenditures and planning.
“Early intervention and prevention are vital to address sarcopenia and osteoporosis, and nuclear techniques offer a huge advantage as they allow scientists to look at the exact component of body weight that is changing in relation to ageing,” said Cornelia Loechl, IAEA Section Head for Nutritional and Health-Related Environment Studies. “Information generated this way is crucial in designing preventive and treatment interventions to accord the elderly a healthier life,” she added.
Dual-energy X ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners are considered the gold standard for measuring bone mineral density and osteoporosis risk and body fat distribution. Isotopic techniques, such as deuterium dilution, also support the accurate measurement of fat-free mass, which includes muscles. Once this is known, fat mass can be calculated as the difference between total body weight and fat-free mass.
Yet, until recently, only a few centres in Mauritius could perform DXA, “leading to many cases of osteoporosis going undetected until fractures happened,” said Sadhna Hunma, Head of Biochemistry Services at the Central Health Laboratory in Mauritius. Further, sarcopenia diagnoses, which require assessments of muscle mass and muscle function tests, had not been part of routine geriatric assessments.
In 2022, scientists from Mauritius’ Central Biochemistry Laboratory set out to enhance the country’s capacity to tackle these two diseases with the help of the IAEA’s technical cooperation and human health programmes. A combination of nuclear techniques including deuterium dilution and DXA helped to bridge data and knowledge gaps.
Through a national technical cooperation project, the IAEA supplied all the necessary equipment for the analyses, including a DXA system and deuterium supplies. The Agency also facilitated in-country expert training, external scientific visits and fellowships in laboratories in India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“From hands-on training in operating DXA machines to clinical practicals, local scientists were able to strengthen their knowledge and skills for the diagnosis and prevention of sarcopenia and osteoporosis” said Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director for Africa at the IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation.
As a result, they collected data on body composition, bone mineral density and other biomarkers from 229 Mauritians aged between 60 and 75 between May 2023 and October 2024. The findings revealed, among others, a significant gender disparity in sarcopenia and osteoporosis prevalence among men and women, indicating the need for more tailored strategies for the prevention of these diseases. On a positive note, severe sarcopenia was very low and mild osteoporosis was comparable in both genders.
“The IAEA support brought a new diagnostic capability to the country, moving beyond basic anthropometric measures to more precise assessments of muscle and bone health,” Hunma said. “We can now translate these insights into action through integrated policies that empower healthcare providers, inform citizens, and facilitate further research,” she added.
In addition, the data can support the creation of a robust framework for the early detection, prevention, and management of osteoporosis and sarcopenia in the country. “This can help reduce disability among older Mauritians, improving their quality of life and enabling them to remain active and independent for longer,” Hunma said.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
