Millions left vulnerable
This makes men twice as likely as women to die after a hip fracture. Osteoporosis experts warn that as men often remain undiagnosed and untreated, millions are left vulnerable to early death and disability, irrespective of fracture type.
The
report entitled "Osteoporosis in men: why change needs to happen" is released
ahead of World Osteoporosis Day, and highlights that the ability
of men to live independent pain-free lives into old age is being seriously
compromised. Continued inaction will lead to millions of men being dependent on
long-term care with health and social care systems tested to the limit.
Read: Exercise your bones, it’s never too late
Often
mistakenly considered a woman's disease, osteoporotic fractures affect one in
five men aged over age 50. However, this number is predicted to rise
dramatically as the world's men are ageing fast. From 1950 to 2050 there will have
been a 10-fold increase in the number of men aged 60 years or more – rising
from 90 million to 900 million – the age group most at risk of osteoporosis.
Men are the "weaker sex" in terms of death and disability caused by osteoporosis as their bone health is simply being ignored by health-care systems. A study from the USA has shown that men were 50% less likely to receive treatment than women. As governments and health-care systems focus on diseases such as cancer and heart disease, this "silent killer" is not being recognised as a threat and affecting an increasing number of victims.
Professor
John A. Kanis, President, IOF said, "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.
Weak and fragile bones
We have proven cost-effective solutions available, such as Fracture
Liaison Services that can help identify those at risk and avoid a continuous
cascade of broken bones. People should not have to live with the pain and
suffering caused by osteoporosis as we can help prevent and control the
disease".
Osteoporosis
is a disease that affects the bones, causing them to become weak and fragile
and more likely to break/fracture. All types of fractures, e.g. spine and hip,
lead to higher death rates in men when compared to women. If health-care
professionals identified osteoporotic men after their first bone break this
would dramatically reduce their risk of future fractures and early death. Yet
fewer than 20% of these men are being assessed and treated.
Read: Milk may not protect men against hip fractures
Lead
author of the report, Professor Peter Ebeling (IOF board member and Head,
Department of Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia) said, "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.
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%. 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".
Read more:
Men get osteoporosis too
What if I break my spine or my hip?
Vitamin D may prevent fractures in older women
Image: Pelvis with marked hip-joint from Shutterstock