The Numbers Don't Lie
About 2 million American men have osteoporosis. Another 12 million are at risk. One in four men over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis at some point in their lives. That's not a rare condition. That's a public health problem hiding in plain sight.
Men account for roughly 30% of all hip fractures worldwide. And here's the part that should get your attention: men who fracture a hip are more likely to die from complications than women. The one-year mortality rate after a hip fracture in men is nearly double that of women.
Why Men Lose Bone
Men start with more bone mass than women, and they don't experience the sudden hormonal drop that comes with menopause. But they still lose bone — just on a slower timeline. After age 50, men lose about 0.5-1% of bone density per year.
Several factors speed that up:
- Low testosterone. Testosterone helps maintain bone density. As levels decline with age — or due to medical treatment — bones weaken.
- Corticosteroid use. Prednisone and similar medications that cause bone loss are one of the most common causes of secondary osteoporosis in men.
- Smoking. Smokers have lower bone density than non-smokers. The effect is dose-dependent — the more you smoke, the worse it gets.
- Excessive alcohol. More than two drinks per day interferes with calcium absorption and bone formation.
- Sedentary lifestyle. Bones need mechanical stress to stay strong. If you're not loading them, they deteriorate.
- Low body weight. Men with a BMI under 20 are at higher risk.
The Screening Gap
Here's the core problem: most men never get screened. Doctors routinely recommend bone density testing for women after menopause, but men rarely hear about it unless they've already broken something. By then, the disease has been progressing silently for years.
Current guidelines recommend bone density testing for all men over 70, and for men aged 50-69 who have risk factors. But in practice, fewer than 10% of men who qualify actually get tested.
When to Get Tested
Talk to your doctor about an osteoporosis screening scan if you're a man over 50 with any of these risk factors:
- History of fracture after age 50
- Long-term corticosteroid use
- Low testosterone levels
- Family history of osteoporosis
- Smoking or heavy alcohol use
- Androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer
A DEXA scan takes about 15 minutes. It measures bone mineral density at the hip and spine, giving you T-scores and Z-scores — the two sites most vulnerable to osteoporotic fracture. If your numbers are low, you and your doctor can take action early.
Don't wait for a fracture to find out where you stand. Book an osteoporosis screening scan at our Rancho Mirage or San Dimas location.
Book Your DEXA Scan