Osteoporosis in Men

We are used to thinking that osteoporosis only affects women as a general rule. Well, this is definitely not the case. This disease can occur in men too. We are going to take a look at some of the principal causes and how to diagnose it and then most importantly how to prevent it. But before this, let’s define exactly what is this disease called osteoporosis.

It is the fragmentation of bone tissue, usually due to the natural aging process, and it does occur in men with much more frequency than we are led to believe. Another myth we have to demystify is that osteoporosis is caused only by aging. In fact, it can be brought on by various other risk factors, like cigarette smoking, lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyles, and a high usage of steroids drugs. In the case of steroids, it is more common in people who take cortisones over a long period of time like asthmatics and patients who have sarcoidosis, a disease that causes abnormal accumulations of inflamed cells – granulomas- (in many organs of the body) and other chronic diseases.

Another cause of osteoporosis in men is hypogonadism, which is a deficiency of testosterone, the masculine hormone par excellence. Also, malnutrition, obesity, and alcoholism are potential risk factors for osteoporosis.

The most visible signs and symptoms of osteoporosis, other than a susceptibility to fractures, are a curved posture, pain in the back regions and a slight shrinking in height (you may already have noticed how some elderly people appear somewhat shorter, both men and women.) It may also be that in the initial stages of osteoporosis there are no symptoms whatsoever.

To diagnose osteoporosis, your doctor will examine you and ask questions about your symptoms and sometimes request a bone-density test to measure the status of your bones. The results are immediate and the test does not need any preparation on your part.
To prevent osteoporosis, you could try to do the following:

a) stop smoking

b) limit your alcohol consumption (2 glasses per day maximum for men, one a day for women)

c) Exercise regularly

d) Take vitamin D supplements (ask your doctor for the right dose for you)

e) Expose your body to sun for 10 to 15 minutes at least 2 to 3 times per week. This will activate the vitamin D which in turn will activate the metabolism of your calcium levels to reinforce your bones.

f) Eat calcium-enriched foods, like dairy products, vegetables and greens, sardines, salmon, tofu and almonds.

There are medicines and treatment for osteoporosis which can help you to avoid serious fractures. These medicines and procedures can already help to prevent osteoporosis occurring in those who are taking regular steroids for other diseases.

In the case of men, check your testosterone levels at your next doctors’ appointment because it is now known that a deficiency of this male hormone, or hypogonadism, is a leading cause for osteoporosis in men.