OSTEOPOROSIS IN MEN-A REVIEW (original) (raw)

Osteoporosis is a musculoskeletal disease characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and increased risk of fragility fractures. Osteoporosis is a silent disease with no symptoms until a fracture occurs. While osteoporosis has been traditionally considered a female disease, it is becoming an increasingly important male health problem, result in significant mortality and morbidity in men and lead to considerable societal costs, including direct medical costs and indirect costs resulting from reduced quality of life, disability, and death (Becker DJ 2010). It is estimated that the lifetime risk of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture in men over the age of 50 (in Sweden) is 30%, which is similar to the risk of developing prostate cancer (Merrill RM 1997). In the same line, osteoporotic fractures in men account for more hospital bed days than those due to prostate cancer (Kanis JA 2004). Moreover, one in three fragility fractures after the age of 50 years occurring in men (Johnell o 2006). Although at least 15-30% of men (Randell A 1995) will sustain one or more fragility fractures in their lifetime, the consequences of osteoporosis are underestimated, and the condition is often unrecognized and untreated in most men (Curtis JR 2009).