The “osteoporosis scare” is no longer just for women. Here at the Center for Better Bones we are seeing an increasing number of men who are being directed to take osteoporosis drugs without any investigation to see if the person is actually at risk for fracture.  Take the case of Frank with whom I spoke today.

Frank’s case:

As Frank describes, he is an 87-year-old going on 88 who is very physically active. He is 5'6" tall and now weighs 140 pounds, having lost 20 pounds since his wife died eight months ago. A month ago Frank's doctor asked him to have a bone density test, even though he had no obvious fracture risk factors aside from being an older man. He had never fractured anything, had no history of fracture in his family, was not using medications which might damage bone, etc.  All in all, Frank was at low risk for fracture.  In fact, he had excellent bones and was well beyond the average age of hip fracture, (80 years of age).

So Frank agreed to the bone density test and was told that his spine was at T -1.30 (barely osteopenia), his wrist was T 0.57 (above the young average), but his hip was osteoporotic at T -3.4.  Immediately he was instructed to take Fosamax, without any attempt to look for the causes of Frank's low hip bone density. 

While his doctor failed to order any tests, Frank took it upon himself to test vitamin D independently. As for the Fosamax, Frank — who already suffers from acid reflux, and who uses no drugs at all — simply refused to use the drug.  Although he was thrown into the “osteoporosis scare,” he was sure enough of himself to know that he did not want bone medication.  He called The Center for Better Bones to seek our ideas.

The Better Bones, Better Body Solution:

Here are the action items I suggestion for Frank:

1. Frank should get a copy of his bone density test to see exactly what the result of this single BMD test was.

2. Frank should ask the doctor why he thinks the hip bone density is osteoporotic, while the other bones are much denser.

3. It would be wise for Frank to remind the doctor of his acid reflux condition and also restate his desire to follow natural path rather than moving into pharmacological drugs.

4.  Finally, Frank should ask his doctor to conduct a complete medical workup for osteoporosis. Such medical testing would uncover (a)  if there is any hidden medical cause for Frank's low hip bone density; and (b) if the bone loss is likely ongoing or if it is something that occurred many years ago and has now stabilized.

In the past, it seemed the push toward bone drugs was primarily focused on women. Because osteoporosis was rare in men, the cause of bone loss was investigated before drugs were prescribed. But now both women and men would do well to become informed and pro-active about their bones and seek out the cause of bone loss before filling a prescription. There are often more natural steps you can take to stop bone loss and even build bone. Follow Frank’s path and become your own best advocate!

We created the Osteo Blast blog as our forum to express opinions and educate the public about natural means of supporting and improving bone health and overall wellness. As part of this forum, we sometimes discuss medical issues and medications, and their effects on bone health in general. However, we cannot advise readers about specific medical issues in this forum. If you wish to obtain advice from Susan E. Brown, PhD, about your specific bone health and nutritional concerns, please visit our Consultations page. Other specific medical questions should be referred to your healthcare provider.