How the UK Male Population is Coping with Osteoporosis - By: thesidman

Following on from our earlier posts, today we are going to discuss the topic of osteoporosis in men in the UK; please e-mail us if any of the issues raised in the article affect you directly and you would like to share your experiences.

Overview

As a reminder, osteoporosis is a condition which affects the bones, making them weak and thin and therefore susceptible to breaking very easily. This can lead to fractures of the bones.

There are no warning signs with osteoporosis, which means it often goes undiagnosed. It is normally picked up if the patient has a break, typically of the hips, spine or wrists.

Osteoporosis affects in 1 in 5 men in the UK, and it typically increases exponentially. In general, men have poorer outcomes from fractures of the hip and spine and other major fractures. Men also have greater mortality associated with major fractures.

Diagnosis

Very few men are diagnosed and treated for osteoporosis; only roughly 5% of men are treated properly after osteoporosis fracture compared to 50% for women.

Causes for Osteoporosis in Men

In around 50% of cases of osteoporosis in men, the causes are unknown. This means that for many men osteoporosis remains under-reported and under-diagnosed.

Risk factors

The major risk factor affecting whether or not a man will contract osteoporosis are hereditary - contributing up to 80% of the risk.
Men with a close family history of osteoporosis will by and large have a lower than expected bone mineral density and therefore have an increased risk of fractures.

Other major causes of osteoporosis in men are low levels of testosterone (hypogonadism) and taking corticosteroid pills, for conditions such as asthma.

To ensure good healthy bones, men need both testosterone and estrogen; the testosterone is converted into estrogen which is used to preserve the bones. Hence if there is a testosterone deficiency, this may well result in a lack of good healthy bones as not an adequate amount of estrogen is being produced.

Alcohol abuse also accounts for a substantial number of cases of osteoporosis in men. Men who drink extreme amounts of alcohol in their younger years run the risk of developing osteoporosis in later life. In addition smoking and inactive sedentary lifestyle are also contributory factors for developing osteoporosis.

Other Conditions

There are other conditions that can affect the start of osteoporosis. These other conditions include secondary hyperparathyroidism (excessive levels of parathyroid hormone), hyperthyroidism (caused by an over-active thyroid gland) and medical conditions which affect the absorption of nutrients from food, such as coeliac disease or Crohn’s disease, can additionally result in osteoporosis.

Reducing the Risks

If you can reduce alcohol intake and lead a more active and healthy life, you can significantly reduce your chance of developing osteoporosis.
If you have any of these conditions you ought to discuss your risk of osteoporosis with your doctor. You may also want to discuss your experiences in our forum.

If you would like to contact Dr Mahmud, please visit the website; he will be able to give general good practice guidelines but cannot diagnose your condition, for this you should always consult your local GP.

About the Author

Tall to Arthritis experts at http://learnaboutarthritis.net

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