Osteoporosis in men

Osteoporosis is often thought of as a “woman’s disease” but the reality is that over 2 million men in America are at risk. After age 50, 6 percent of all men will experience a hip fracture and 5 percent will have a vertebral fracture as a result of osteoporosis.

It is true that bone loss in men is different to that in women

• Men have larger skeletal bone
• Bone loss occurs later in life
• Bone loss occurs more slowly
• Acceleration of bone loss due to hormonal change does not occur in men

However by age 65 or 70, however, men and women are losing bone mass at the same rate, and the absorption of calcium, an essential nutrient for bone health throughout life, decreases in both sexes.

In an aging population with increased life expectancy and a more sedentary life style, this means men are increasingly at risk for osteoporosis. While it is increasingly clear when to monitor women at risk for osteoporosis, it is less clear for men. Additionally it is unclear how to interpret the results of a bone mineral density test done in men since the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines were designed based on test results for women. This makes it especially important for men to inform their doctors about risk factors for developing osteoporosis, loss of height or change in posture, a fracture, or sudden back pain.