African-American and Jewish men also have a higher risk, as do men with a family history of breast cancer. Osteoporosis Men older than 50 have a greater risk of suffering an osteoporosis-related fracture than developing clinical prostate cancer. One third of those men who suffer hip fractures will die within a year, and yet more than 70 percent of Americans view osteoporosis as a women's disease. The disease is particularly dangerous because there are no obvious early warning signs. In men there are two types of causes of bone loss, according to Anne White, M.D., a certified clinical densitometrist at the Women's Center, an affiliate of Floyd Medical Center.
All factors modify with age of onset-depending on the man.
Some men may run into problems in their 40s. An underdiagnosed and underrecognized cause of bone loss is decreased testosterone levels. It is not normal to fall from a standing position and fracture your hip-that is osteoporosis by definition. You can prevent bone loss by making sure you get enough calcium. Treatment is the same for both men and women.