Osteoporosis is a Danger to Men Also

Health Wellness

In the past few months, we’ve talked about osteoporosis in women and dangers broken hips. We showed how women are especially susceptible to osteoporosis due to their giving birth to children and then due to the hormonal changes that occur during menopause. We even looked at the role that genetics can play as a risk factor for someone developing osteoporosis.

In researching osteoporosis, it was discovered that there is a huge misconception about osteoporosis. Millions of men believe that osteoporosis is a woman’s disease. It’s not just a condition found in women. It also affects many men.

That begs the question of why so many men can develop osteoporosis if they don’t give birth to children nor undergo menopause?

First, just a quick review of what is known as the silent disease.

Most people don’t realize that their bones are constantly being replaced. In your younger years, the bones grow in length and diameter. New bone cells are regularly being produced. Your bones reach their peak in size and strength during your 30s. After the peak of bone growth and strength, your bones slowly lose older bone cells at a faster rate than new bone cells are formed. As this happens, the bones slowly become thinner and weaker – a condition known as osteoporosis.

It’s true than women begin losing more bone mass after having children as some of the calcium used to form the bones in their baby’s bodies comes from their own bones. And it’s true that the hormonal changes a woman’s body experiences during and after menopause can also lead to loss of bone mass and osteoporosis.

What few realize is that once a man passes his peak bone mass age, generally sometime in their 30s, they also begin to lose bone mass from the naturally aging process, but at a slower rate than women, at least at first.

The shocking reality is that by age 65-70, men are losing bone mass at the same rate as women. One of the reasons that bone mass is loss is that the body, both male and female, steadily lose their ability to absorb calcium at the same rate as in their earlier years.

There are two main types of osteoporosis – primary and secondary. Primary osteoporosis refers to age-related loss of bone mass. This is often referred to as senile osteoporosis. When this is found in men, it is often referred to as idiopathic osteoporosis.

Secondary osteoporosis is the loss of bone mass due largely to factors other than age. These secondary factors include lifestyle, disease and medications. In men, the leading causes of secondary osteoporosis includes:

  • Glucocorticoid medications – these are steroids used to treat asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases.
  • Hypogonadism – also known as low testosterone levels.
  • Alcohol – excessive consumption.
  • Smoking
  • COPD & asthma
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Gastrointestinal disease
  • Hypercalciuria
  • Anticonvulsant medications
  • Thyrotoxicosis
  • Hyperparathyroidism
  • Osteogenesis imperfecta
  • Homocystinuria
  • Neoplastic disease
  • Ankylosing spondylitis & rheumatoid arthritis
  • Systemic mastocytosis
  • Immobilization – inactivity, lack of strengthening exercises.

All of these factors increase the risk of developing osteoporosis, along with age and even one’s ethnic background. Caucasian men experience a greater risk of developing osteoporosis than other ethnic groups. That may be genetic but may also be due to the lifestyle where more Caucasian men have less strenuous jobs and lifestyles.

Generally, osteoporosis in women is determined by regular bone scans, but you rarely see men getting bone scans. To diagnose osteoporosis in men generally entails a complete medical history, x-rays, urine and blood tests.

Treatment generally includes taking daily doses of a calcium vitamin or supplement that is a form the body can easily assimilate (absorb). Don’t rely on getting your calcium from drinking milk. Yes, milk contains calcium, but the modern processes of homogenization often alters the calcium into forms that body finds difficult to absorb, causing most of it to be passed out as waste.

Strengthening or resistance exercises also help build up bone mass and can help offset or reverse some of the effects of osteoporosis.

Men can help prevent the onset of osteoporosis by following the recommendations of the National Institute of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center:

“There have been fewer research studies on osteoporosis in men than in women. However, experts agree that all people should take the following steps to preserve their bone health:

  • Avoid smoking, reduce alcohol intake, and increase your level of physical activity.
  • Ensure a daily calcium intake that is adequate for your age.
  • Ensure an adequate intake of vitamin D. Dietary vitamin D intake should be 600 IU (International Units) per day up to age 70. Men over age 70 should increase their uptake to 800 IU daily (see table below). The amount of vitamin D found in 1 quart of fortified milk and most multivitamins is 400 IU.
  • Engage in a regular regimen of weight-bearing exercises in which bones and muscles work against gravity. This might include walking, jogging, racquet sports, climbing stairs, team sports, weight training, and using resistance machines. A doctor should evaluate the exercise program of anyone already diagnosed with osteoporosis to determine if twisting motions and impact activities, such as those used in golf, tennis, or basketball, need to be curtailed.
  • Discuss with your doctor the use of medications that are known to cause bone loss, such as glucocorticoids.
  • Recognize and seek treatment for any underlying medical conditions that affect bone health.

Recommended Calcium and Vitamin D Intakes

Life-stage group Calcium mg/day Vit. D IU/day
Infants 0-6 months 200 400
Infants 6-12 months 260 400
1-3 years old 700 600
4-8 years 1,000 600
9-13 years 1,300 600
14-18 years 1,300 600
19-30 years 1,000 600
31-50 years 1,000 600
51-70 years men 1,000 600
51-70 years women 1,200 600
70 years 1,200 800
14-18 years pregnant/lactating 1,300 600
19-50 years pregnant/lactating 1,000 600

Sadly, most men and many women don’t know they have osteoporosis until they fall of do something that results in a broken bone or bones. By that time, much of the damage is done, but don’t be dismayed as you can often reverse some of that damage.

Be proactive by paying attention to the risk factors. Don’t smoke, reduce alcohol consumption and be active. Also watch the medications you are given to take and make sure you take the recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

aging Bone Health Calcium Men's Health Osteoporosis Vitamin D women's health

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