Common Questions
Why measure bone mineral density in at-risk men as well as women?
Although the prevalence and impact of osteoporosis is greater in women, the burden of disease in men is not insubstantial. Important similarities exist between osteoporosis seen in men and that seen in women.
- The fracture rate for the same absolute bone mineral density (BMD) level is the equivalent in men and women (1).
- The relative risk of hip fracture in men is 3.0 for every 1 standard deviation fall in BMD from baseline (2).
- Age-related changes in BMD are similar in men and women, although men, with greater peak BMD, have delayed onset of symptomatic osteoporosis (3).
- Effective treatments for osteoporosis are now available for men as well as for women.
- Mortality associated with hip and other fractures is higher in men than in women (4).
- Ross PD, Lombardi A, Freedholm D. The assessment of bone mass in men. Orwell E, ed. Osteoporosis in men. New York: Academic Press 1999505-25.
- De Laet CE, Van Hout BA, Burger H, Weel AE, Hofman A, Pols HA. Hip fracture prediction in elderly men and women: Validation in the Rotterdam study. J Bone Miner Res 1998; 13(10): 1587-93.
- Kaufman JM, Johnell O, Abadie E, Adami S, Audran M, Avouac B, et al. Background for studies on the treatment of male osteoporosis: State of the art. Ann Rheum Dis 2000; 59(10): 765-72.
- Center JR, Nguyen TV, Schneider D, Sambrook PN, Eisman JA. Mortality after all major types of osteoporotic fracture in men and women: An observational study. Lancet 1999; 353(9156): 878-82.