Do Men Get Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens your bones, and while it is often thought of as a women’s disease, about 1 in 20 men over the age of 50 will be diagnosed with the condition.
Most people don’t know they have osteoporosis until it causes them to break or fracture a bone. By 65 or 70, men and women are losing bone mass equally. And the ability to process calcium, an essential nutrient for bone health, decreases in both sexes. Excessive loss of bone mass causes bones to become fragile and prone to fracture. Fractures resulting from osteoporosis most commonly occur in the hip, spine, and wrist, and may cause permanent disability.
What are osteoporosis symptoms in men?
Healthcare providers often call osteoporosis a silent disease because it doesn’t have symptoms the way many health conditions do. Breaking a bone is often the first sign. You might notice a few changes in your body, though, that can mean your bones are losing strength or density, including:
- Losing an inch or more of your height
- Changes in your natural posture
- Shortness of breath (if disks in your spine are compressed enough to reduce your lung capacity)
- Lower back pain
What are the risk factors for osteoporosis in men?
Men have some of the same risk factors for osteoporosis as women, including:
- Chronic diseases such as diabetes, Crohn’s disease, or rheumatoid arthritis
- Regular use of certain medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPI), steroids, antiandrogen and antiseizure medications
- Parkinson’s disease and other conditions that affect neurological function
- Low levels of sex hormones (testosterone)
- Weak muscles
- Being age 70 or older
How can I prevent osteoporosis?
As we have more birthdays, our bone density naturally declines. So, while there are no ways to prevent osteoporosis, there are ways to help slow down the process and lower your risk.
- Get enough calcium and vitamin D
- Participate in regular exercise
- Avoid smoking and excess alcohol
How is osteoporosis diagnosed?
There are three ways to diagnose osteoporosis:
- Bone mineral density test: An imaging test that measures the strength of your bones. It uses x-rays to measure how much calcium and other minerals are in your bones.
- FRAX: A fracture risk calculator that is included in the software of most bone density test systems. By inputting your bone density, your age, sex, height, weight, and additional questions, FRAX calculates the chances of you having different types of fractures in the next 10 years. If your 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fracture (meaning a fracture of the spine, hip, shoulder, or forearm) is 20% or more, or the 10-year probability of hip fracture is 3% or more, then a diagnosis of osteoporosis can be made.
- Fracture: If you are over the age of 50 and have had a fracture of the spine, hip, wrist, shoulder, rib, and/or pelvis, then you probably have osteoporosis. A fracture of the spine or hip means osteoporosis regardless of your T-score.
How is osteoporosis treated?
There is no single remedy for osteoporosis, instead we take a whole person approach. The most important part of treating the disease is to prevent bone fractures. The most common treatments include:
- Exercise: Regular exercise can strengthen your bones, as well as the muscles, tendons and ligaments surrounding them. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, yoga and Pilates, can strengthen your muscles and train you balance.
- Vitamin and mineral supplements: You might need over-the-counter or prescription calcium or vitamin D supplements. Check with your provider to confirm what type you need, how often you should take them and which dosage.
- Medications: There are many things to consider when choosing the right osteoporosis medicine, because the medications work in different ways. A person with more severe bone loss or multiple broken bones may be recommended a different medicine than a person with less bone loss or no fractures. Some osteoporosis medications are only approved for women.
How can I get tested?
If you’re concerned that you may have osteoporosis or would like to be screened for the disease, talk to your primary care provider and they may initiate a referral to our bone health specialist.
Sources
Sarah VanSumeren, P.A.-C., is a bone health specialist with MyMichigan Health. As part of the Bone Health Program, Sarah is involved in the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis to prevent secondary fractures.
