When most of us hear the word “osteoporosis” the image that is conjured up is that of a little old lady recuperating from a hip fracture after a fall. Women are very likely to receive a recommendation to obtain a bone density (“DEXA” ) scan from their primary care or GYN physician. If osteopenia or the more serious osteoporosis is seen, medication is often recommended to help reverse the bone thinning.
Let’s turn the conversation to men. Rarely do men receive the recommendation to obtain a bone density screening test. The reason: It has been a long-standing thought process that bone thinning is almost exclusive to post-menopausal women.
However, studies show that 16 million men in the U.S. have osteopenia and 2 million suffer from osteoporosis. The difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis is the amount of bone thinning that has taken place. In osteopenia, the bone thinning is less than -2.5 standard deviation from the “norm” whereas osteopenia patients have bone thinning greater than -2.5 standard deviations from the mean.
People with bone thinning are at greater risk for bone fractures, especially after falls. I would bet that most of you either have a family member, friend or someone you know that has fallen, broken a hip or other bone and then had to spend an incredible amount of time rehabbing from the fracture. In the case of elderly people 80 years old or greater, the fall and fracture starts a very significant downturn of health that results in suffering and then ultimately death.
So, for you men out there or wives of stubborn men, please consider asking your doctor for an order for a DEXA scan if you are 50 years old or greater. If osteoporosis or osteopenia is found, weight bearing/resistance exercises, increasing Vitamin D and calcium intake and other non-medicine measures can be taken to strengthen the bones.
Here is Paul Simon’s “Heart and Bones” as a tribute to his deceased ex-wife, Carrie Fisher (of Star Wars fame)
