Men, Osteoporosis, and Its Issues

Women are usually the only ones associated with osteoporosis. But medical research will tell you that there are two men for every 10 Americans who are afflicted with osteoporosis. Furthermore, there are three million more men who are prone to suffering the disease, which makes it a major health concern, even among the men. Clearly, men should also worry about osteoporosis risks.

Men rarely know their bone mass condition because they are believed to be not very concerned about their health, as studies suggest. Even when they already have the disease, older men are less likely to take Fosamax – the drug of choice for the said bone problem, medical journals report. It is important that this kind of attitude be understood because this will be crucial in addressing the spread of the disease among the men.

Women goes through a menopausal stage and bone loss runs faster for them than among men. However, when they reach 70, their bone loss rate may already be equal to the women. Furthermore, during that age, absorption of vitamin D and calcium that are also vital in keeping the bones healthy decreases, which can increase the risks for the disease. But there is an osteoporosis that is not age related.

Among the causes of secondary osteoporosis, the most common are hormonal changes, certain medications, alcoholism and smoking. When men can get afflicted of the medical condition called hypogonadism, in which levels of sex hormones (testosterone) are abnormally low, men can be at a high risk of getting osteoporosis. There are many causes of hypogonadism, which includes the use of medications such as gluccocorticoids and cancer treatment (especially those used for prostate cancer). The bones can suffer from the use of gluccocorticoids because it is known to cause bone loss. Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and asthma are the reason why this drug is used which is usually prescribed over long periods of time.

According to large studies, excessive alcohol intake may cause the bone density to dwindle. It is important to control one's alcohol intake. Cigarette smoking also has been observed to speed bone loss so it is advisable to quit smoking.

Men may find all those information significant as this can help them in dealing with osteoporosis. Preventing the disease from occurring is more preferable then treating it with Fosamax, which may lead to the filing of a Fosamax class action lawsuit against the manufacturer.