Osteoporosis in men

The 'Silent Epidemic' strikes men too

The report 'Osteoporosis in Men' is written by Ego Seeman, Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, IOF Board member and editor of Progress in Osteoporosis.

In his foreword Professor Seeman notes that "osteoporosis does not just occur in women...and men who sustain fractures may suffer more severely in terms of the quality and quantity of their lives than when fractures occur in women." A major problem, he points out, is that "most men, most doctors and most governments are not aware of the problem of osteoporosis in men. But osteoporosis does not show any sex discrimination. It is an equal opportunity disease."

The report shows that worldwide, one in five men over 50 will have an osteoporosis fracture. And in some countries, such as Australia (where one in three men over 60 will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis) the rate is even higher. This is a rate similar to that of women, which is generally estimated worldwide as one in three for women, over 50. The lifetime risk of a man suffering an osteoporotic fracture is greater than his likelihood of developing prostate cancer.

Download pdf (20 pages)