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<p>Worldwide, 1 in 3 women over age 50 will experience a bone fracture due to osteoporosis, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>But it’s not just women who are affected by osteoporosis. One in 5 men over age 50 also will have the same issue. Osteoporosis is thinning of your bones to the point where they can break.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>“Bone loss really starts to occur in a big way at about age 55,” says Dr. Bart Clarke, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Dr. Clarke says that women are most at risk, especially those past menopause, when bone loss is accelerated because of a lack of estrogen. But women aren’t the only people affected.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>“About 20 percent of the patients in the country who have osteoporosis are men,” says Dr. Clarke.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Without a bone density test, most people won’t even know they have osteoporosis because there are usually no symptoms until a bone is broken, “which is one of the reasons why this is dangerous,” says Dr. Clarke. “Because it’s like having high blood pressure or high blood sugar. <strong>Many times, you have no clue because nobody’s checked.”&nbsp;</strong></p>
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<p>If you’re in your 50s, Dr. Clarke recommends talking to your primary care provider and asking about bone density testing if you have had previous low-trauma fractures or risk factors for osteoporosis. You also should maintain good nutrition with proper amounts of calcium and vitamin D and stay physically active.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><em>Source:&nbsp;</em></p>
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<p><em><a href="https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/ healthletter/osteoporosis-affects-men-too" data-type="URL" data-id="https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/ healthletter/osteoporosis-affects-men-too">https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/ healthletter/osteoporosis-affects-men-too </a></em></p>
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