Osteoporosis is a condition that causes skeletal weakening and loss of bone density. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 2 million Americans are currently diagnosed with osteoporosis, but an estimated 12 million remain undiagnosed and untreated. Many of those without a diagnosis are men. Osteoporosis in men is less common than osteoporosis in women due to differences in bone size and strength, and medical professionals therefore frequently overlook the disease. Treatment of osteoporosis in men is very similar to treatment of the disease in women. Follow these guidelines.
Instructions
1. Reduce any risk factors for osteoporosis that are preventable. While factors, such as age and race cannot be altered, some risk factors can be eliminated to improve bone strength and enable osteoporosis medications to work more effectively. Certain medications, including steroids used to treat asthma, anticonvulsants and aluminum-containing antacids, have been linked to a higher incidence of osteoporosis in men. Excessive alcohol use, immobility, smoking and low levels of testosterone are other risk factors that can be corrected.
2. Increase your daily calcium intake. Men under the age of 50 years require at least 1,000 mg of calcium each day to maintain bone strength and treat osteoporosis, while men over the age of 50 years need at least 1,200 mg. Your daily intake may need to be higher, depending on the degree of bone loss you have already suffered.
3. Augment your daily intake of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important to bone health, and is even more effective when combined with calcium supplements. Men under the age of 50 need 400 to 800 IU each day, with men over 50 years requiring higher amounts of Vitamin D, often as much as 1,000 IU daily. New evidence shows Vitamin D2 is as effective at preventing and treating osteoporosis in men as Vitamin D3, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
4. Increase the amount of weight-bearing exercise you engage in each day. Weight-bearing exercise improves bone strength, and includes such activities as walking, stair climbing, jogging, lifting weights and using resistance machines. Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine if you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.
5. Treat any underlying medical conditions that may be contributing to your osteoporosis. Low testosterone is one common cause of osteoporosis in men that is treatable with hormone replacement therapy.
6. Take a medication approved to treat osteoporosis in men, such as antiresorptives or anabolics. Antiresorptives work to slow bone loss, while anabolics speed up the formation of new bone.
7. Monitor your condition with X-rays, bone mineral density tests, blood work and other medical tools provided or prescribed by your doctor. Careful monitoring of your bone strength and loss will help you determine which treatments are working and which ones need to be changed. If left untreated, or if treated ineffectively, osteoporosis in men can lead to broken bones and permanent disability.
Tags: bone strength, risk factors, bone loss, daily intake, diagnosed with, diagnosed with osteoporosis