Osteoporosis for All

[JesusA (imported)]

More Men at Osteoporosis Risk Than Commonly Believed

"0steoporosis is commonly perceived as an illness of women - both doctors and the lay public are much less aware that it's a very common problem in men," says Eric Orwoll, MD, a professor of medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University.

How common? One in every eight men older than 50 will suffer a hip fracture as a result of the disease.

Part of the problem is a lack of screening and subsequent treatment; men aren't tested for osteoporosis as often as women. "If you talk to the bone mineral density labs, Dr. Orwoll comments, "the number of men measured is quite few." Granted, you'd expect more women to be screened, since they are more likely to have the disease. But, he points out, "the disproportion between women's and men's testing is still very inappropriate."

What puts men at risk for osteoporosis is different from what makes women vulnerable. In women, it's largely the steep drop in bone-sustaining hormones after menopause. Men's osteoporosis is often the outcome of another illness, especially one that requires treatment with drugs like corticosteroids or anticonvulsants. Both are notorious for thinning bone. Anyone taking a corticosteroid to decrease the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis, for instance, is considered at high risk for osteoporosis. Also at high risk are tobacco users and heavy drinkers. The two habits, linked with fractures from the disease, are more common in men than in women.

Which men should get tested?

Men who've had a fracture after age 50 or evidence of a spinal fracture on an x-ray should get a DEXA scan for osteoporosis, says Dr. Orwoll. So should anyone with a condition associated with osteoporosis, such as an illness requiring corticosteroid treatment. Some risk categories are actually becoming more common; for example, men receiving androgen ablation therapy for prostate cancer "lose bone quickly" and should therefore get screened, too, Dr. Orwoll advises.

Heel ultrasounds that you sometimes see in pharmacies won't cut it for men. They're meant to be a quick diagnostic tool for osteoporosis, but usually they do not use a male database, making the measurement meaningless. The reason is that your score from a heel ultrasound compares your bone density to that of a reference population. If the population is all women, fewer men will be diagnosed with osteoporosis because next to women's bones, theirs could look dense even after they've become significantly demineralized.

The good news, says Dr. Orwoll: Just about all of the drugs that work to combat osteoporosis in women - Fosamax, Actonel, Forteo - are "just as effective in men."

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, vol. 21, no. 6 (August 2003), page 8

Yet another reminder of the importance of checking (and maintaining) your bone density. The newsletter is the best that I have found yet for health information and health reminders. It’s even relatively inexpensive as such newsletters go. Highly recommended!

Subscriptions to the monthly newsletter are $28 per year to:

Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter

P.O. Box 420235

Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235

[bobbie (imported)]

Thanks for the information.

I think that anyone who will be castrated or get chemicaly castrated should get the bone scan done first. That way you will have refference point and can watch for changes. I for one wants to live a very long happy and healthy life as an Eunuch.

[Paolo]

A quicker and cheaper way to test your bone density -

Pick a door, wall, car windshield, truck bedside, someone's jaw, and punch it as hard as you can. This usually occurs when someone is quite pissed. If your hand breaks without doing serious damage to the object, it's a safe bet you've got bone loss.http://www.eunuch.org/Public/Images/ea1/E8.gif

[sag111 (imported)]

Well i am not sure that i want to take your test Paolo but i did get a bone scan about two weeke ago but havent gotten the reselts back yet.But as soon as i do i will let everyone know since i have been chemicaly castrated for the past sixteen monthes now it would be tnteresting to see where i am.Also i herd that people who had polio have a better chance of osteoporosis so i guess that makes me twice as likley .Anyway i do want to thank every one here that advised us to get this test it could save someone a grate deal of grief .

[An Onymus (imported)]

Another health problem usually considered to affect women rather than men, but which affects both sexes, is breast cancer. And the disease apparently is more virulent in men. One of my relatives died at an early age from a metastized breast cancer. I don't know what the recommended precautions or preventive measures are, for men, related to this disease, or whether HRT would affect the incidence of it.

[Riverwind (imported)]

FOSAMAX once a week in the morning with water on an empty stomach then wait an hour before you eat or drink anything else. This is the life of someone who has OSTEOPOROSIS as I do. I also take 1500 mg of calicum a day. When I have my bone scan again this December I hope it shows that I am back to normal. Time will tell.

If you are castrated or going to be have your doctor get you a bone scan. This is not up for argument, this is a fact of life.

Riverwind

[colin (imported)]

FOSAMAX once a week in the morning with water on an empty stomach then wait an hour before you eat or drink anything else. This is the life of someone who has OSTEOPOROSIS as I do. I also take 1500 mg of calicum a day. When I have my bone scan again this December I hope it shows that I am back to normal. Time will tell.

If you are castrated or going to be have your doctor get you a bone scan. This is not up for argument, this is a fact of life.

Riverwind

River,

One thing you might like to keep an eye on, is that there was a report in today's Daily Mail (UK) that researchers have found that high doses of vitamin C appear to be as effective - or more effective than HRT.

In the study, all the patients were women and it does warn that the dose is 8 times the recommended maximum and that may have an adverse effect, but it certainly looks promising. Should be a lot cheaper, too.

LOL

[Riverwind (imported)]

River,

One thing you might like to keep an eye on, is that there was a report in today's Daily Mail (UK) that researchers have found that high doses of vitamin C appear to be as effective - or more effective than HRT.

In the study, all the patients were women and it does warn that the dose is 8 times the recommended maximum and that may have an adverse effect, but it certainly looks promising. Should be a lot cheaper, too.

LOL

Thanks, I am not on any HRT so the doctor and I are watching this. I do take a lot of vitamin C. http://www.eunuch.org/vbulletin/images/ ... /smile.gif as well as other vitamins. I will ask my doctor if he has seen anthing on the study. Thanks again.

Have a great day

Riverwind

[sag111 (imported)]

I finally got the results of my bone scan and everything came back normal so i guess i will have to wait until next year to see if thair are any changes.Looking back i know i should have had this done last year to compair this year with but am on the rite track now.

[madscientist1 (imported)]

A quicker and cheaper way to test your bone density -

Pick a door, wall, car windshield, truck bedside, someone's jaw, and punch it as hard as you can. This usually occurs when someone is quite pissed. If your hand breaks without doing serious damage to the object, it's a safe bet you've got bone loss.http://www.eunuch.org/Public/Images/ea1/E8.gif

Show me how!