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Men might need to be worried about osteoporosis too

Posted on Aug 8th 2007 9:07PM by Martha Edwards

Osteoporosis is often considered a condition of middle-aged women, but testing is recommended for some men too. The condition, which is caused by a lack of calcium and leads to brittle bones that are prone to breakage, can be detrimental to men who are over 80 years old and/or those who've had previous fractures or breaks, a study shows. The study measured how cost-effective it was to screen men between 65 and 85 compared with the quality of life a screening and subsequent treatment could provide.

That said, men under 80 and those who've never had a fracture could still benefit from osteoporosis screening -- it just might not be as cost-effective.

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Tags: bones, calcium, men, osteoporosis, screening, treatment, women

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

K Campbell 8-10-2007 @ 4:17PM

My husband died last February. He had severe osteoporosis at the time. He drank a big glass of milk and took vitamins w/ calcium. He did smoke and did drink too much, The U of Washington doctor on osteoporosis said that weight baring exercise would be his best help. But he didn't take her advise. Very painful! Take note!

Carol 8-10-2007 @ 4:45PM

My father is 78 and has a severe case of osteoporosis. His spine is crumbling and he is in pain all the time. I knew (and his doctor confirmed) that it was a direct result of malnutrition over a period of years. Dad and stepmother decided to eat everything low fat, low sodium and very little meat. They both lost a lot of weight and became very unhealthy but the media had convinced them they were eating a healthy diet and there was nothing I could do to change their minds. Recently the doctor said Dad's condition was worsened by lack of exercise and lack of sunlight. I believe in doing our own research, eating a variety of foods and getting a reasonable amount of sunlight. Osteoporosis does not happen overnight, it takes many years to set in, so it's important that we look out for our bodies early on. One of the problems is that the media and doctors keep changing their minds on what works and doesn't work. That is so they can make money on new drugs and remedies... always remember that, and do your own research. There's plenty of individuals on the internet who share what has worked or not worked for them. The real people are the ones we need to listen to!