|
|
|
Doctors' Guidelines Urge Osteoporosis Tests For Men, Too!
May 2008
ABSTRACT: Men ages 65 and older should get screened for osteoporosis. Many men are undiagnosed until it is too late, resulting in a higher risk of falls, bone fracture and disability or death. Normally associated with aging women, many men have also been found to be affected. This is often due to a sedentary lifestyle, an inadequate diet and other lifestyle factors such as smoking.
Supplementation can assist where there is a nutritional shortfall. ABExtra Bonecare+ is scientifically formulated to assist in the optimal development, building, and maintenance of bone health. ABExtra Bonecare+ contains forms of more readily absorbable calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphate, zinc and vitamins C, D and folic acid -- each with a function in strengthening bones.
Men ages 65 and older should get screened for osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease once thought to be a problem exclusively for women.
In a report published in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians unveiled new guidelines urging doctors to look for factors that put older men at risk. The report says a substantial number of men go undiagnosed.
Without a diagnosis or treatment, older men are at risk of developing frail bones that break easily. An older person who falls and breaks a hip can be disabled for months and can die from complications related to the fracture.
In many parts of the world, older women are routinely screened for osteoporosis, a condition in which the bone becomes porous. Worldwide, an estimated 20% of women 50 and older have osteoporosis. The focus has primarily been on women because they are at a higher risk. Because of the level of risk for women, little attention has been paid to the risk that men have for the condition.
The evidence was culled from more than 200 scientific studies. This evidence was used to develop guidelines for physicians.
They found that osteoporosis strikes about six of 100 men by age 65, and they recommend that doctors start to screen men at that age. Risk factors for osteoporosis include low body weight, physical inactivity, a history of bone fracture not caused by substantial trauma, smoking and low levels of calcium and vitamin D.
Men who have taken some medications to treat prostate cancer are also at risk. A class of medications known as anti-androgens may stop or slow the growth of the tumor, but they also might lead to bone loss. Androgens (sex hormones) such as estrogen (in women) and testosterone (in men) are sex steroids that assist calcium absorption (otherwise known as mineralisation) in bones. Anti-androgen therapy blocks androgen activity and bone mineralisation in the process.
Bones, like the rest of the body, are dynamic, constantly undergoing mineralisation and de-mineralisation (bone resorption or bone loss) processes. The presence of estrogen or testosterone increases the level of mineral absorption in bones. As we grow, particularly through puberty and beyond, mineral absorption in our bones is generally higher than mineral loss. This balance changes as we age and androgen production decreases. This is when bone loss is greater, and if we’re not careful, can lead to osteoporosis.
For women, the risk of osteoporosis starts around menopause, usually around 50 years of age or older. At that time, production of the estrogen decreases and bones start to thin. Men usually start out with a bigger, stronger skeleton, but they do lose bone gradually, a process that speeds up past age 65.
Men and women who have the disease can develop bone so brittle that it breaks with everyday activities. Men in particular, who fall and break a hip are twice as likely to die in the year following the incident.
The high death rate might reflect the fact that doctors are slow to recognise the disease in men. They might be diagnosed when they break a hip -- and by that time it might be too late. While some women are often unaware that they are at risk, often men are less so.
Both men and women can slow or prevent osteoporosis, improving bone strength and density. Through diet and exercise, particularly weight bearing exercises, osteoporosis can be avoided.
Supplements also help, especially as our ability to absorb nutrients decreases with age. If your diet is not adequate, even with exercise, supplementation is advised.
For information on AB Extra Bonecare+, a comprehensive formula for Osteoporosis, please click here
For information on PM NextG Cal, a formulation with Hydroxyapaptite (MCHA), please click here
- Liu H, Paige NM, Goldzweig CL, et al. Screening for osteoporosis in men: a systematic review for an American College of Physicians guideline. Ann Intern Med. 2008 May 6;148(9):685-701.
- Qaseem A, Snow V, Shekelle P, et al. Clinical Efficacy Assessment Subcommittee of the American College of Physicians. Screening for osteoporosis in men: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2008 May 6;148(9):680-4.
- Bone. 2003; Vol. 32, No.5,pp:532-540
- New England Journal of Medicine. 1990; Vol. 323, No.13, pp878-883
|
|
