Men are being ignored when it comes to osteoporosis highlights new data

Men are not adequately diagnosed or treated for osteoporosis, says a new report, with those suffering a hip fracture twice as likely to die compared to women.
One-third of all hip fractures worldwide occur in men, with mortality rates as high as 37% in the first year following fracture. This makes men twice as likely as women to die after a hip fracture. Experts warn that as men often remain undiagnosed and untreated, millions are left vulnerable to early death and disability, irrespective of fracture type.
Osteoporotic fractures affect one in five men aged over 50 years but this number will rise as the world’s men are ageing fast.
Osteoporosis in men: why change needs to happen highlights that the ability of men to live independent pain-free lives into old age is being 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.
One study from the US has shown that men were 50% less likely to receive treatment than women.
Prof Peter Ebeling, lead author of the report comments:
“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”.

World Osteoporosis Day is on 20th October. For more information visit www.worldosteoporosisday.org.

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