[콕!건강]Today is ‘Osteoporosis Day’… Not only women but also men should be careful

October 20th is <a href="http://www.world-today-news.com/osteoporosis-only-attacks-parents-really-okezone-trends/" title="Osteoporosis Only Attacks Parents, Really? : Okezone Trends”>World Osteoporosis Day, established by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). Osteoporosis is a disease for which the importance of prevention is being emphasized as the population ages.

Osteoporosis is known to mainly occur in women after middle age, but the number of male patients has been rapidly increasing recently. This is because even in middle-aged men, bone density decreases as male hormones decrease, and bone volume decreases and strength weakens during the aging process. In particular, men need to be careful because osteoporosis occurs at a relatively older age and often occurs secondary to suffering from other diseases.

Osteoporosis is a condition in which there is no change in the chemical composition of bones, but the likelihood of fractures increases due to a lack of calcium, which keeps bones strong. As bone minerals are lost, density decreases and bone strength weakens, causing fractures to occur even from small impacts. In many cases, it progresses slowly without awareness, and by the time pain is felt, a fracture has already occurred.

According to the ‘Osteoporosis and Osteoporotic Fracture Fact Sheet 2023’ published by the National Health Insurance Corporation together with the Korean Society of Bone Metabolism, the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia among people over 50 years of age is 22.4% and the prevalence of osteopenia is 47.7%, with one in five adults suffering from osteoporosis and two in five adults suffering from osteoporosis. One of them was found to have osteopenia. 37.3% of women and 7.5% of men in their 50s or older suffer from osteoporosis, with a prevalence rate five times higher in women than men, but osteopenia has a similar prevalence rate of 48.9% and 46.8% for both women and men.

Oh Seung-mok, director of orthopedic surgery at Bupyeong Himchan Hospital, said, “Women are more prone to osteoporosis, but men are more at risk.” He added, “After menopause, women are aware of osteoporosis and pay a lot of attention, but this is not the case for men. In particular, osteoporosis in men is more likely to cause fractures. “In many cases, it is only recognized after it has occurred,” he explained.

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The fatality rate when an osteoporotic fracture occurs is higher in men than in women. Fractures mainly occur in the hip joint, spine, femur, wrist, and humerus, and the mortality rate is high when hip joint or spine fractures occur. This is because you have to lie down for a long time until you recover from the fracture, and various complications can occur in the meantime. As of 2021, the fatality rate within one year after a hip fracture was 24.2% for men, which was significantly higher than 15.7% for women. The fatality rate within one year after a spinal fracture is 10.6% for men compared to 4.9% for women, which is more than double the difference.

Osteoporosis progresses more slowly in men than in women and has no symptoms until fracture, so treatment is delayed for male patients compared to women. Since aging is the main cause of osteoporosis, it is necessary for both men and women after middle age to regularly undergo bone density tests. Once osteoporosis occurs, it is difficult to return to normal, so it is important to detect and prevent it as early as possible.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is a standardized test for bone density. Find the bone density of the lumbar spine and femur and determine how much difference this value shows compared to the bone density of normal adults. The score is expressed as a T value representing the standard deviation above and below normal bone density. If the T-score is within -1.0, it is within the normal range, but if it is between -1.0 and -2.5, it is diagnosed as osteopenia, and if it is -2.5 or below, it is diagnosed as osteoporosis.

If the test shows only osteoporosis without fractures, it is important to eliminate risk factors for fractures by improving lifestyle habits and taking medication. It is helpful to suppress bone resorption through drug treatment, reduce drinking, smoking, and caffeine intake, and eat milk, cheese, and shiitake mushrooms to ensure adequate calcium and vitamin D intake. Regular exercise not only strengthens your bones, but also helps prevent fractures by maintaining your sense of balance and reducing the likelihood of falling.

Oh Seung-mok, director of orthopedic surgery at Bupyeong Himchan Hospital, said, “To prevent and treat osteoporosis, it is essential to carry out weight-bearing exercises that can stimulate the bones and strengthen muscles,” adding, “However, during exercise, sit-ups and excessive movement of the spine are not recommended.” “It is best to avoid exercise, exercise that causes pain, or squatting even if it is not exercise,” he advised.

Reporter Lee Chun-hee spring@asiae.co.kr