More seniors should have access to Bixeps to strengthen muscles and stay active for longer

Singapore-developed device is a safe, non-invasive way to help seniors maintain muscle mass, reducing falls and fractures and the need for hospital and caregiver services.

- Salma Khalik

A Singapore-developed device has been approved by the regulatory authorities in Singapore and the US for medical use to improve muscle strength, increase mobility and reduce pain.

This is a feather in Singapore's cap, but more importantly, the device—known as QMT—and its cheaper precursor Bixeps have implications for our ageing population, as they could provide a safe and non-invasive way for seniors to maintain their muscle strength, which could significantly cut down on falls and fractures.

A 10-year study by Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing found that between 13 per cent and 25 per cent of seniors here suffer from sarcopenia, an age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength.

Sarcopenia not only causes weakness, but also affects a person's balance. As a result, people with sarcopenia tend to move less, which in turn leads to greater weakness, obesity, loss of independence and decreased quality of life. It also increases risk of falls and hospitalisation.

HealthHub, the national health portal, states that about one-third of older adults aged 60 and above have fallen more than once, resulting in 18 per cent of women and 6 per cent of men having hip fractures.

It adds: "Falls can result in a variety of complications, ranging from fractures to long-term hospitalisation and loss of self-esteem and confidence. Because the consequences of falls are numerous and significant, falls and their resulting injuries—whether they're hip fractures or head injuries—are important health issues that cannot be overlooked."

During the debate in March on his ministry's budget, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told Parliament that the average length of stay in hospitals "jumped abruptly from six days to seven days post-pandemic", increasing the workload at public hospitals by 15 per cent.