Study finds osteoporosis often remains undiagnosed and, consequently, untreated in men, ends up killing many of them

Oct 10, 2014 20:03 GMT  ·  By

This coming October 20 marks World Osteoporosis Day. In anticipation of this global event, researchers with the International Osteoporosis Foundation released a report saying that, as far as bone health is concerned, men are way weaker than women.

The report, published in as many as seven languages, argues that, too often, osteoporosis remains undiagnosed and, consequently, untreated in men. This is simply because many consider it to be a women's disease and don't think that men too can be affected by it.

Specialists warn that, due the fact that men are not properly treated for osteoporosis, millions of them are likely to become disabled after suffering a fracture related to this disease, and even die as a result of medical complications.

Bone health in men

In its report, the International Osteoporosis Foundation details that, in this day and age, about one-third of the hip fractures documented on a global scale affect men. Interestingly enough, it appears that men are twice as likely as women to die after suffering such an injury.

Thus, the International Osteoporosis Foundation researchers behind this latest study on said bone disease say that, according to medical reports, the mortality rate in the first year following a hip fracture is as high as 37% in the case of men.

What's more, it appears that, presently, osteoporosis-related fractures affect one in five men who are over the age of 50. It is expected that, in the years to come, this number will continue to up. However, healthcare systems appear to be anything but ready and willing to deal with this problem.

“In the EU, projections suggest that by 2025 the total number of fractures in men will increase by 34%, to almost 1.6 million cases per year,” said study lead author Professor Peter Ebeling, Foundation board member and head of the Department of Medicine at Monash University in Australia.

“In the USA the number of hip fractures among men is expected to increase by 51.8% from the year 2010 to 2030, and in contrast the number among women is expected to decrease 3.5%,” the specialist went on to sum up the report's findings.

(Not) treating osteoporosis in men

Researchers say that, having analyzed the working agenda of healthcare systems worldwide, they found that just 20% of the men affected by osteoporosis are properly diagnosed and treated. In the US alone, men were found to be 50% less likely to receive treatment for this condition.

This means that, despite the fact that it constitutes a major threat to public health, this disease that affects bones and causes them to become more vulnerable to potentially life-threatening fractures is not properly addressed, at least not when it comes to protecting men against it.

“It is estimated that the lifetime risk of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture in men over the age of 50 years is up to 27%, higher than that of developing prostate cancer. Yet, an inadequate amount of health-care resources are being invested in bone, muscle and joint diseases.”

“People should not have to live with the pain and suffering caused by osteoporosis as we can help prevent and control the disease,” Professor John A. Kanis, the current president of the International Osteoporosis Foundation, said in a statement.

In light of these findings, specialists recommend that efforts be made to drill it into people's heads that osteoporosis does not affect women and women alone, and to train healthcare workers to properly diagnose this disease in men.

As Professor Peter Ebeling put it, “A battle is set to rage between the quantity and quality of life. We must act now to ensure men not only live longer but also have a future free of the pain and suffering caused by osteoporotic fractures.”