Guess What Guys......

But you can get Osteoporosis too! YES YOU CAN! As well as Breast Cancer and other "girly" diseases. But since this blog at the moment is dedicated to Osteo and its causes and treatments lets delve into the fact that men too can get Osteo.

Though women are four times more likely to acquire it, about 5 million men in this country have osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. A disorder in which bones become weakened, osteoporosis is sometimes called the "silent disease" because it has no symptoms. It often manifests itself in fractures of the hip, wrist, spine, and other bones. Among both sexes, it is responsible for 1.5 million fractures a year. Scientists are still piecing together just how osteoporosis develops, but it is well known that a key factor is deficiency of the mineral calcium.

Osteoporosis is seen less often in men than in women for several reasons. Men generally have greater bone mass than women, and in males, bone loss begins later and advances more slowly. But men do have a hormonal drop-off in testosterone similar to women's reduction of estrogen after menopause. Testosterone levels may naturally become lower as a man ages.

Factors that raise the risk of osteoporosis include:

*Cigarette smoking
*Excessive alcohol and caffeine consumption
*Lack of exercise
*A diet low in calcium
*Poor nutrition and poor general health.
*Malabsorption (nutrients are not properly absorbed from the gastrointestinal system) from conditions such as Celiac Sprue
*Chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic hepatitis C, an infection of the liver
*Immobility, such as after a stroke, or from any condition that interferes with walking
Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. When vitamin D is lacking, the body cannot absorb adequate amounts of calcium to prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D deficiency can result from lack of intestinal absorption of the vitamin such as occurs in celiac sprue and primary biliary cirrhosis.
*Certain medications can cause osteoporosis. These include heparin (a blood thinner), anti-seizure medications phenytoin (Dilantin) and phenobarbital, and long term use of corticosteroids (such as Prednisone).