The diagnosis and treatment of male osteoporosis: Defining, assessing, and preventing skeletal fragility in men

Male osteoporosis is associated with a significant burden in terms of morbidity, mortality, and economic cost. Despite recent advances in the understanding of the male osteoporotic syndrome, the evaluation and treatment of men suffering from osteoporosis remains a clinical challenge. In men with osteoporosis, it remains particularly critical to exclude underlying pathological causes as these are much more likely to be present than in women. There is increasing evidence that the approaches developed to diagnose and treat the disorder in women may be equally useful in men. The available evidence suggests that the anti-fracture efficacy of treatment with alendronate, risedronate, or teriparatide is similar in both sexes. Additional research is warranted to prospectively address the usefulness of BMD measurements to predict fracture risk, to identify those men who are likely to benefit the most from therapy, and to monitor individual responses to therapy. (C) 2006 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.