According to the latest research osteoporosis a diseases common in women that makes bones brittle and easily breakable with age also affects men. The study suggests that this debilitating condition is often overlooked in elderly Australian men. This means that they cannot be treated early and have to suffer avoidable fractures. The study was conducted at the University of Sydney and it saw that in a group of 1,626 men aged over 70, one quarter had osteoporosis and should be receiving subsidized treatment. Yet nine out of ten were not receiving any treatment found the researchers. 401, or 25 per cent, were found to qualify for treatment under Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) rules, although hardly any were receiving such treatment.
Kerrin Bleicher, a physiotherapist and PhD student at the university said, “Identifying men who will benefit from osteoporosis treatment and increasing the proportion of eligible men receiving appropriate treatment is a public health issue…Currently it is projected that, because of the ageing population, hip fractures may double by 2026 and increase fourfold by 2051.” She cited lack of awareness as a cause for escalation of this problem and said studies on prevalence often relied on self-reporting of the condition. She urged all doctors and GPs to look out for the disease. “Obtaining information about previous fractures, identifying vertebral deformities, and testing bone density, where appropriate, can identify men at higher risk of fracture who may benefit from interventions,” she said. Ms Bleicher said treatment included increased exercise, greater intake of calcium and vitamin D, and if necessary drugs that slowed the rate of bone loss. An important group of drugs for this condition are the bisphosphonates.
The study is published in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia. The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
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