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.
Key words: osteoporosis, aging, bone thinning, bone health, bone density, bone mass, calcium, vitamin D, Extra Bonecare+.
Supplementation can assist where there is a nutritional shortfall. AB Extra Bonecare+ is scientifically formulated to assist in the optimal development, building, and maintenance of bone health. AB Extra 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.
AB Extra Bonacare+ is a convenient supplement that is scientifically formulated for strengthening and maintaining healthy bones. A comprehensive source of nutrients optimised to achieve better health outcomes, AB Extra Bonecare+ contains different forms of soluble and absorbable calcium, magnesium, minerals and vitamins required for healthy bones.
AB Extra Bonecare contains 3 different forms of readily absorbable calcium:
• Calcium amino acid chelate is readily absorbed, the amino acid component increasing solubility and absorption;
• Calcium Phosphate which consists of 38.7% calcium bound to phosphorus and forms part of the structural component in bones. The presence of calcium in combination with phosphorus facilitates the development and strengthening of bones; and
• Calcium Citrate, regarded as being highly absorbable, suggested by scientific evidence to be one of the best forms of supplemental calcium. It is significantly better absorbed and utilised when compared to calcium carbonate.
No one form of calcium is ideal as each possesses different beneficial properties. This formulation, also incorporating magnesium, zinc, manganese, folic acid, and vitamins C and D contains the nutritional components required to facilitate nutrient uptake and bone mineralisation at optimal levels.
Supplied in film coated tablets which are easy to swallow, AB Extra Bonecare+ is a product of Aus Biopharm (Australia). The raw ingredients used in AB Extra Bonecare+ are of the highest quality (e.g. folic acid from Roche, Vitamins C and D from DSM). AB Extra Bonecare+ is manufactured in Australia according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines, and is listed with the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), one of the strictest health authorities in the world. Testing and analysis is performed by independent TGA accredited Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) laboratories to ensure that raw materials and finished products are of the highest quality, without contaminants and impurities.
- 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
