Osteoporosis tests are routine for older women, but a new study from Park Nicollet Health Services in Minneapolis says that they should be routine for certain men, too.
Medical experts see a general misconception in the United States that osteoporosis is only a threat to women. Current data indicates that one in two Caucasian women will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point in her lifetime. One in four Caucasian men will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point in his lifetime. Osteoporosis is half as common in men as it is in women, but it is still very common.
A fracture — whether osteoporosis related or as the result of a fall — can be disabling or deadly for older people. Up to twenty percent of older Americans who suffer a hip fracture die in the year following the injury. The surgery, the immobilization, the hospital stay, and complications of the fracture itself all can contribute to (or detract from) recovery.
Regular bone density testing for both men and women could raise the survival rate for older Americans who have suffered a hip fracture or other osteoporosis-related fractures.
The survey from Park Nicollet Health Services used existing information to create computer simulations that would estimate the lifetime cost and benefit of bone density testing in men of different ages and different risk levels. Existing data and computer simulations showed that the rate of osteoporosis in men rose with age — from under fifteen percent at age 65 to almost thirty four percent at age 85.
Men with osteoporosis were more likely to end up with a fracture than those without. A bone density test and drug therapy can reduce the risk of fractures. The cost of the test — around $80 — and the cost of treatments are far less than what you might pay if you suffered a fracture. The lead researcher on the study pointed out that the cost for test and treatments (if needed) is a “reasonably good deal” when compared to the quality of life a person would have without the fracture.
Which men can benefit from bone density tests for osteoporosis?
- All men over the age of eighty.
- Men aged sixty-five and older who have suffered a bone fracture.
Men who have no prior history of fracture may not find the tests as cost-effective as those who are at risk for osteoporosis.