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Men need to be concerned about Osteoporosis, too

Bone health in men is being missed.  The publication, "Osteoporosis in men: Why change needs to happen," from the International Osteoporosis Foundation, reports one-third of all hip fractures occur in men, with a mortality of 37% in the year following fracture.  Coauthor of the report, Dr. Ebeling, writes that osteoporosis is "a disease that for far too long has been considered to be exclusively a problem for women. While improving management of osteoporosis for women is critical, the time has now come for a radical reappraisal of osteoporosis management in men."

Androgen deprivation therapy is commonly used to treat men with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer and is being used more and more in localized prostate cancer and in men with PSA’s that rise after prostatectomy. Because this therapy reduces the amount of male sex hormones in the body, it can lead to bone loss and broken bones.  Research has found a 2–3% annual decrease in bone mineral density during initial androgen deprivation therapy and a steady decline during long-term treatment.  Studies in older men indicate that the therapy can increase the risk of clinical fractures.

Concern about maintaining healthy bones as you age should not be limited to women.  Osteoporosis is not a “women’s only” disease.  Men also need to eat bone healthy diets and participate in weight bearing and/or resistance training to optimize whole bone strength and decrease their risk of fractures and the pain associated with fractures.

 

posted on 5/22/2015