Osteoporosis Also Poses a Threat to Men

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes the skeleton to weaken and the bones to break. While we mainly think of osteoporosis as a post-menopause female disease, it also poses a significant threat to men.

WebMD.com says as many as 2 million American men already have osteoporosis, with twelve million men are at risk – many having bone loss and low bone mineral density called osteopenia.

According to the April 2020 issue of Life Extension Magazine, that fractures in men, resulting from osteoporosis, are more severe – with one-third of all hip fractures world-wide occurring in men.

The mortality rate for men over 60 years of age, who sustain a hip fracture is 37.5% – with an increased risk to die from an infection during the first two years, after the hip fracture.

Negative lifestyle factors, such as low body mass index, a genetic predisposition resulting from a parent with osteoporosis, high alcohol intake, smoking, glucocorticoid treatment, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorders, and chemotherapy treatment for cancer, raise a man’s bone fracture risk. Measures to reduce the risk to osteoporosis include bone strengthening modes,
such as physical activity, weight-bearing exercising, resistance training, while also including adequate amounts of calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin K, zinc, manganese, boron, and silicon.

Calcium provides the predominant mineral content of bones.
Vitamin D3 promotes calcium uptake from the gastrointestinal tract.
Magnesium controls calcium in and out of bone cells.
Zinc stimulates new bone formation.
Manganese is a cofactor to enzymes that stimulate bone growth.
Vitamin K activates the bone hormone osteocalcin needed for bone strength.
Silicon improves the quality of bone matrix.
Boron regulates calcium metabolism and other bone building minerals.

Lifeextension.com also said that, “curcumin, and extract of the turmeric plant, has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic systemic inflammation is now being recognized as a contributor to osteoporosis risk.”

A man or woman has many options to reduce the risk to this bone weakening disease. It’s important to work with you doctor to assess your risk to osteoporosis as you age.