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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, November 21, 2008
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, November 21, 2008
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More than two million American men have osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones, but very few of them are aware of this major health problem.
Although osteoporosis is less common in men than women, no one is immune to the disease. At least 20 percent of people with osteoporosis are men.
Bone is a complex living tissue that constantly renews itself. The body builds and stores bone tissue efficiently until about age 30. With aging, bones begin to break down faster than new bone is formed. This breakdown of bone, osteoporosis, affects 10 million Americans, and 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass (osteopenia), which places them at increased risk for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You can't tell from the way you feel that your bones are losing density. You often don't realize it until you fracture a bone.
There are several reasons that women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. Men have about 5 percent higher bone density after their growing period than women. Men also tend to have bigger bones, and it's generally harder to break bigger bones. In addition, men often have larger muscles than women and may be less likely to fall.
Even though men are less likely to have osteoporosis than women, the average age of men who experience hip fractures has actually been younger than women in several recent studies. Fractures are a sign of possible bone loss, and men or women who experience fractures should have their bone density checked, regardless of age.
Several factors increase the risk of osteoporosis in men:
Whether you're male or female, it is recommended that the following steps to reduce bone loss and the risk of developing osteoporosis:
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get Medicare to cover bone density tests for men, even when they have certain risk factors. However, it's still important to consider testing, even if insurance doesn't cover it.
From birth to age 50, people should get 200 IU of vitamin D a day. Adults 51–69 require 400 IU daily, and those over 70 require 600 IU. Doctors recommend patients with osteoporosis get at least 800–1,000 IU of vitamin D a day.
Multivitamins usually contain only 400 IU of vitamin D, so most people need an additional supplement.
This article originally appeared in UC Health Line (10/10/06), a service of the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center Public Relations Communications Department and was adapted for use on NetWellness with permission, 2006.
Last Reviewed: Sep 03, 2008
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Nelson Watts, MD, FACP, MACE Professor of Medicine Director, Bone Health and Osteoporosis Center Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Internal Medicine College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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