Men and Osteoporosis

Think only women are at risk of osteoporosis? Think again.

The misconception is that men don’t get osteoporosis. The fact is that men frequently get osteoporosis and all too many of them are unknowingly suffering the consequences of this disease

At least one in five men will break a bone from osteoporosis, and one quarter of the 30,000 hip fractures caused by osteoporosis in Canada are in men.

Watch this video to learn more. Share it with someone you care about and encourage them to get assessed for osteoporosis. Because osteoporosis is a man’s disease, too.

Proportionately more men than women die as a result of a hip fracture – 37% of men who suffer a hip fracture will die within the year following that fractured hip.

Men are also more likely than women to require care in a long-term facility after a hip fracture.

Yet despite the fact that hip fractures can be more devastating for men than for women, men are less likely to be assessed for osteoporosis or to receive treatment for osteoporosis after they break a bone.

It’s not just a women’s disease

Gerry Corcoran

In 2008, Gerry was diagnosed during a screening by his doctor because he had risk factors. Since then, he has managed his osteoporosis and now has low bone mass (osteopenia) and has steered clear of fractures. Although his life hasn’t changed all that much, he volunteers on a regular basis with Osteoporosis Canada. He finds that it helps people to be able to talk to someone who also has osteoporosis.

READ THEIR STORY

A Voice For Men With Osteoporosis

Larry Funnell

Upon his retirement in 2006 from his position with the federal government, Larry turned his attention to learning more about osteoporosis. His quest for answers and information he could trust led him to the Canadian Osteoporosis Patient Network and Osteoporosis Canada.