The 3rd Annual Women’s Health Conference was held in NJ this month, educating women on a range of health issues, including osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time, is one of the most frequent spinal problems that can occur and require treatment from spine surgery NJ clinics. However, it is not exclusive to women. Although it is five times more common in women and women suffer twice as many fractures, osteoporosis is not as rare in men as most people think.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, one in five men who are above the age of 50 can expect to experience an osteoporosis-related injury. Unlike women, men don’t have the early alert women receive with menopause, causing osteoporosis to often be unnoticed. There are no symptoms in the early stages of osteoporosis; many men will have a fracture before learning that they have the disease.

To help promote osteoporosis awareness, the Endocrine Society has created guidelines on how to identify and treat osteoporosis in men. For men over 70, x-ray screenings are advised. Men between the ages of 50 and 69 should be tested if they have risk factors, which include low body weight, low testosterone, a previous fracture as an adult, smoking, or excessive drinking.