Osteoporosis – Not Just an Old Lady Problem
February 16, 2010 by GiGi
Welcome back!
We all tend to think of Osteoporosis as an female problem – specifically an older female problem. The truth is that 55% of Americans over 50 are afflicted with it and 20% of them are men. And the disease has been increasing at a rapid rate over the last 10 years. Many men will be getting osteoporosis just because they are living longer.
What is Osteoporosis?
It’s a disease characterized by thinning of the bones with reduction in bone mass due to less calcium and bone protein. It predisposes a person to fractures, which are often slow to heal or heal poorly. Unchecked osteoporosis can lead to changes in posture, physical abnormality (known as “dowager’s hump”), and decreased mobility.
Let’s Talk Men
Research indicates that 25 % of men age 50 and older will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. In addition, 80,000 men have a hip fracture each year, and 1/3 of them die within a year of the fracture. Although the rate of osteoporosis-related hip fractures is 2-3 times higher in women than in men, the risk of mortality within one year of the fracture is nearly double for men compared to women. Kind of scary news, isn’t it?
What Are The Risk Factors for Men?
- Smoking (it’s there for everything, isn’t it?)
- Increasing Age
- Inactive Lifestyle
- Alcohol Abuse
- Poor Diet (low calcium and Vitamin D)
- Family History
- Low Testosterone Levels
- Diabetes
- Excessive intake of protein, salt and caffeine
- Certain medications such as steroids, proton-pump inhibitors and SSRIs.
Also, men treated for prostate cancer with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) have a significant increase in the risk of osteoporosis.
What About Pharmaceuticals?
Certain drugs also play a role in the development of osteoporosis in men. A large study evaluated 62,865 men 50 years or older for prescription usage and fracture risk. The research showed that many drugs including sedatives, anti-epileptics, anti-psychotics, anti-anxiety, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI), opioids and other analgesics, loop diuretics, glucorticoids, dopaminergic agents, and iron compounds were associated with increased risk of fractures.
What Can You Do To Prevent Osteoporosis?
If you look at the list above, you can see a lot of the factors are preventable. Smoking, diet and exercise are the main lifestyle factors you can change. Getting a bone density test after the age of 50 is a good place to start.
Certain nutritional supplements can also be helpful. Calcium is an obvious choice, but also taking Vitamin D3 helps with the calcium absorption. See my Vitamin D3 Articles. Vitamin K has also been shown to strengthen bones. Vitamin K articles here.
Disclaimer: Some of the links mentioned within this post or posts it may lead to are my affiliate links and in such case I will get compensated for recommending those products.
- And The Winner of the Most Popular Dietary Supplement Is…...
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I just read recently in a nutrition book how one of the main reasons Europe and the states have the highest levels of osteoporosis is due to excessive consumption of protein. The body leeches calcium from the bones in an attempt to process it all…Interesting.
Jennifer : 21 Day Weight Loss´s last blog ..Omaha Pilates Training : Is Something Missing?
I somehow think there’s more to that than just the protein, but that’s just me being skeptical.
Help prevent osteoporosis with calcium and vitamin D.
Osteoporosis is recognized as the world’s second-largest health problem, after cardiovascular disease. It affects more than 25 million people in the United States alone. Yet research tells us that only 10–14% of teen women and 36% of teen men in their bone-forming years (12–19) get enough calcium.
Benefits
A 3-tablet serving of Cal Mag D provides:
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium for strong bones and teeth
Magnesium to help with the absorption of calcium levels
Vitamin C to promote collagen formation for bone strength
Copper to promote bone and collagen strength
Zinc to support bone growth and maturation
The calcium equivalent of 20 oz of milk
No added artificial colors or preservatives
The incidence of ‘osteoporosis’ in North America has risen sharply over the past 10 or more years since the introduction of bone density scans. But the strength of bones comes from more than the bone density – collagen, a long fibrous protein, gives bones tensile strenght and makes them less likle to break.
The most important factors in building and maintaining bone are exercise and nutrition (substances as mentioned in post and in comment above plus phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iron, boron and silica as well as several trace minerals. Fats from oily fish are also needed to aborb Vitamin D) Milk is not the best source of calcium – sevearl studies have shown that it does not reduce fracture risk, Eating a varioety of mineral-rich green vegetables and a broth made by simmering bones and vegetables for several hours is better than milk or supplements. Many elemental calcium tablets are not bioavailable
Bone is broken down to keep the blood within the alkaline range essential for bodily function. So eliminating foods and substances that acidify the blood is essential. These include tobacco, alcohol, soda pop, artificial sweeteners, sugar, excessive salt and protein, and foods made with white flour.
Your readers can assess their risk for osteoporosis at http://www.iofbonehealth.org/patients-public/risk-test.html.
For those with low bone density, drugs may not be the answer. Two studies have shown that long-term use of bisphosphonate medications actually increases the risk of fracture.
Jennifer´s last blog ..Conscious Creation And Managing Energy
Thanks for the great information! I’ve been telling friends about the calcium supplements, but it’s falling on deaf ears since their doctors are recommending them.