Secondary causes represent about 50% of cases in males.

Osteoporosis in men can be classified into two categories, primary and secondary. Despite high mortality and morbidity in males, unfortunately, most randomized controlled trials for osteoporosis treatment only include postmenopausal females, resulting in a challenge in managing osteoporosis in males.ĭespite hormonal and biomechanical advantages compared to females, approximately one-third of men still may experience one or more osteoporotic fractures in their life. That is true for both vertebral and non-vertebral fractures. Īlthough the prevalence of osteoporosis is higher in females, males present with higher mortality risk following a fracture. For males, it is recommended to use the same thresholds as females although the densitometric definition is not as well standardized as in postmenopausal women. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) have defined diagnostic criteria for low bone mass (osteopenia) and osteoporosis based on bone mineral density (BMD) measurements in a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan compared with a reference population. However, the acknowledgment of the osteoporosis burden in the male population has grown in the past decades, associated with the increase of fragility fractures in the population, likely due to longer life span observed worldwide, a more sedentary lifestyle, and increased prevalence of risk factors.

It has been mainly considered a post-menopausal condition, due to the known effects of reduced estrogen on the decrease in bone mass in females. Osteoporosis is a silent disorder characterized by reduced bone density and structural deterioration of bone microarchitecture leading to fragility and increased risk of fractures.

Normal hip xray male 50 years old