Ads on television for osteoporosis are targeted towards women but men are just as susceptible to it's ravages. Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) is associated with loss of calcium and bone minerals. The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that 2 million men suffer from the disease and millions more could be at risk. The New England Journal of Medicine states that osteoporosis on men is under-diagnosed and under-treated.
According to the Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, about 60% of all men under 50 will experience a hip fracture and about 5% will fracture a spinal bone as the result of osteoporosis. They also state that breaking a bone may be more serious for men than women and men who break a hip are more likely to die within a year than a woman. If men regularly take medicines (such as steroids), have chronic kidney, lungs or intestinal diseases, are excessive alcohol drinkers or have a sedentary life style, they should be tested for a bone-mineral deficiency.
