Osteoporosis Is Common in Older Men, Know the Risks
Osteoporosis affects about 1 in 20 men over age 50. Osteoporosis in men is more likely to be caused by something other than aging, such as certain medications.
Osteoporosis affects about 2 million men over age 50 in the United States. An additional 16 million men have low bone mass (osteopenia), which can lead to osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis increases your risk of bone fracture. Although both men and women get fractures, they tend to happen later in life in men. As a result, men have about twice the mortality rate from osteoporosis fractures as women do.
Men at risk of osteoporosis can make lifestyle changes to support bone health. They can also talk with their doctors about treating underlying medical conditions that may lead to bone loss.
Men do get osteoporosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), osteoporosis affects about 1 in 20 men over the age of 50 .
Once you do get to see the doctor, don’t be surprised if you’re rushed out of the exam room before you get all of your questions answered, according to healthcare staffing agency Staff Care. Studies show that 41% of ophthalmologists spend just 9 to 12 minutes with a patient, and 13- to 16-minute appointments are the norm for 40% of cardiologists, 37% of pediatricians, 35% of urologists, 35% of family physicians, 34% of obstetricians and gynecologists and 30% of otolaryngologists.
Although the condition is more common in women — 1 in 5 women over the age of 50 have osteoporosis — up to 40% of all osteoporosis-related fractures happen in men. Because men tend to experience their first fracture at an older age, these fracture are more debilitating.
Osteoporosis happens when you lose too much bone mass.
Your bones are in a constant state of renewal — old bone cells are reabsorbed into your body and new bone cells are created to replace them. As you age, your body breaks down old bone faster than it can create new bone, which means your bones become lighter, weaker, and more brittle than they used to be.
Women begin to lose bone mass at a younger age than men. For most women, rapid bone loss happens at the time of menopause. For most men, the rate of bone loss begins more slowly. But risk increases with age.
By the time they’re 65 to 70 , people lose bone at the same rate, regardless of sex.
Reproductive hormones play an important role in the maintenance of healthy bone in people of all sexes. Changes in those hormone levels, such as lower testosterone levels in men and lower estrogen levels in women, can contribute to osteoporosis.
Language matters
This article uses the gendered terms “men” and “women” a lot. Generally, we prefer to distinguish between gender identity and sex assigned at birth, but specificity is key when reporting on research participants and clinical findings.
