The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) estimates 1.5 million fractures related to osteoporosis occur every year. “One in eight fractures— in the wrist, spine, or hip—occurs in men. Hip fractures are especially common— and life-altering. It’s estimated that anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of men with a hip fracture spend their life in a nursing home. At the very least, a large number of men—and women—will not walk without assistance after a hip fracture,” says Narrett. And the ultimate cost: 37 percent of men with a hip fracture die within a year, as opposed to 17 percent of women.
What Puts You At Risk?
There are a number of factors that lead to decreasing bone density. “Bone loss increases with age, but age itself doesn’t put you at automatic risk for osteoporosis. Lots of men in their 80s and 90s have normal bone strength. Age is just one factor,” says Narrett.
Among other risk factors that can lead to lower bone density in both men and women: smaller-thanaverage skeleton, low calcium intake, and lack of vitamin D. We find that smoking and excessive alcohol use are still greater in men than women, and both tend to be leading risk factors for osteoporosis,” says Narrett. “Certain medications arealso risk factors including steroids, anti-epileptic drugs and Lupron. The latter is a treatment for prostate cancer” he adds.
“One of the key questions men should ask to help determine their risk is whether anyone in the family— male or female—had osteoporosis. If no one knows about the disease per se, find out (or try to remember) if anyone was ever in the hospital with abroken hip, or if they tended to walk stooped over,” he adds. (Osteoporosis causes back curvature.)
Diet and Supplements for Osteoporosis
Changes in both exercise and diet are critical to preventing and fighting osteoporosis. Studies indicate men are better than women when it comes to getting involved in the kind of bone-strengthening exercises recommended by experts. Men tend to fail terribly, however, when it comes to making the nutritional changes also needed.
Older men (and women) need 1,200 mg. of calcium every day (as opposed to 1,000 mg. for people under age 50) and between 600 and 800 I.U. of vitamin D. Calcium is easy to find in food, but vitamin D isn’t. For many people, the best option is to get some of these nutritional needs from a calcium plus vitamin D supplement. Talk to a qualified dietitian or nutritionist for more information.
Men’s Osteoporosis Research Expanding
Drug treatment recommendations for men are the same as for women. “There are a group of drugs called biphosphonates that are very well-tolerated. Fosamax and Actonel are taken once a week and there is a newer drug, called Boniva, that only needs to be taken once a month,” says Narrett.
Fosamax and Actonel are approved for men. Do they work as well on men as they do women? Do men need different dosages? While there’s no reason to believe that these drugs won’t be as effective on men, the fact is experts just don’t know.
The good news is research on osteoporosis in men is expanding. “There is now a national, multi-site study with 6,000 men enrolled. It’s seeking answers to questions such as “Are the risk factors essentially the same in men and women?’ “When we talk about the ‘right’ bone density scores we tend to be talking about scores that have been developed testing women. We need to know if those numbers are equally applicable to men,” says Narrett.
The bottom line is men need to become more proactive about looking at bone density and fighting bone loss. One issue you can fight for: bone density scans are not automatically covered by Medicare or other health plans for men—but they are for women.