Royal Osteoporosis Society

Osteoporosis is a medical condition characterized by weakened bones, increasing the risk of fractures from minor falls or injuries. This condition develops when bone density decreases, making bones porous and fragile. Common fracture sites include the wrist, hip, and spine. Risk factors encompass aging, family history, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, early menopause, low testosterone levels, and certain medications. Preventive measures and treatments involve a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, weight-bearing exercises, and medications that strengthen bone density. Queen Camilla has been a steadfast advocate for osteoporosis awareness and prevention, largely due to personal experiences with the disease affecting her family. In 1994, following her mother’s death from osteoporosis, she joined the National Osteoporosis Society, becoming its patron in 1997 and president in 2001. Under her patronage, the organization has significantly advanced public understanding of osteoporosis, promoted ear

Osteoporosis in men

Osteoporosis is often thought to be a condition that only affects women. But this isn’t the case. Osteoporosis and broken bones (fractures) affect men too.

This web page provides information about osteoporosis in men. It also includes links where you can find support.

How common is osteoporosis in men?
Men, of all ages, can have osteoporosis. It’s more common in older people.

1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.

In this film, Dr Stephen Tuck explains how osteoporosis and broken bones affect men. We also hear a personal story from Nic Vine to help raise awareness of the impact on men.
Osteoporosis and men: a message to my younger self
In this blog, Gareth, Geoffrey and Joe tell us about their experiences of osteoporosis. And the advice they would offer their younger selves if they could.

I think it’s particularly important for men to be aware of their risk as I feel like there’s a big stigma with men having the condition. Gareth, 72
How is osteoporosis diagnosed in men?
If your doctor thinks you may have osteoporosis, they can refer you for a range of scans and tests. This includes a fracture risk assessment. The scans and tests help to find out if you have osteoporosis, your risk of breaking a bone and if you need a drug treatment.

If your doctor is unfamiliar with osteoporosis in men, it may help to show them this web page.

 

What causes osteoporosis in men?
At least half of men with osteoporosis have an underlying reason for their osteoporosis. But we don’t always know why men have osteoporosis.

Many of the causes of osteoporosis are the same in men and women. They include coeliac disease, steroids, eating disorders and age.

But some treatments and conditions increase the chance in men alone. This is because they cause very low levels of testosterone (male hormone) in the body. The treatments and conditions include:

  • Klinefelter’s syndrome
  • Kallmann syndrome
  • injury to the testicles
  • some conditions that affect the pituitary gland
  • some prostate cancer drug treatments
  • radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Should men see an osteoporosis specialist?
It’s important for men, and especially younger men, to see a specialist who understands osteoporosis. As osteoporosis is less common in men, there are many factors to think about when diagnosing and treating the condition. A specialist can help to:

  • find out if there’s an underlying reason for your osteoporosis
  • recommend osteoporosis drug treatments
  • interpret the results of your DXA scan.

How can men look after their bones?
We can all look after our bones by:

  • eating a well-balanced, varied and calcium-rich diet
  • having safe exposure to sunlight, so that your skin makes vitamin D
  • staying active by doing both weight-bearing impact and muscle-strengthening exercise
  • not smoking
  • not drinking more than the recommended levels of alcohol
  • taking steps to lower your chance of falling, as falls can lead to broken bones.

Will osteoporosis and broken bones affect my job?
Men often tell us they worry about how osteoporosis and broken bones could affect their job. This is especially the case if their job involves heavy lifting.

It’s normal to feel concerned. But you should be able to keep working and doing the activities that are important to you.

There are some adjustments you can make to reduce the chance of broken bones in the workplace. They include:

  • reducing the size of loads you lift
  • reducing repetitive bending, twisting and turning
  • using safe moving and lifting techniques to keep your back straight.

There are also things you can do to help manage pain if you’ve had painful broken bones.

ROS publishes its Agenda and Priorities for 2025

As we step into 2025, the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) is very pleased to unveil our objectives and priorities for the year ahead. Building on three years of progress under our Breaking the Silence strategy, we’re scaling up our mission to transform bone health and ensure a better future for the millions of people affected by osteoporosis. This pivotal year will see us drive universal access to life-saving Fracture Liaison Services (FLS), launch The Great British Bone Check, and introduce innovative support services to empower individuals with osteoporosis.

“In the fourth year of our strategy, we’ll scale up our work to get early diagnosis services (Fracture Liaison Services) set up across the four nations, building on Government pledges for universal coverage. This is just the start, and our world-leading research agenda will make the case for a National Screening Programme to prevent the first fracture too in future. As we gear up for our 40th anniversary, we’ll launch The Great British Bone Check, our biggest ever public-facing campaign, as well as two brand new support services.

This work is only possible thanks to the generosity of our members and supporters. We pledge to leave no stone unturned in tackling osteoporosis head-on and putting it at the top of the health agenda, so lives can be changed for the better”.

— Craig Jones, Chief Executive, Royal Osteoporosis Society

 

Corporate objectives and measures for 2025
Prevention
1. We’ll partner up with five well known businesses to launch ‘The Great British Bone Check’, so a million people can check their bone health risk by the end of 2026.

2. We’ll drive the national conversation about bone health by increasing the value of our media coverage by a further 15% and our digital engagement by 25%.

Influencing care
3. We’ll continue our ambitious work to prevent people’s first fracture. This will include ground-breaking research to develop the world’s first screening programme to find and treat people who are at high risk.

4. We’ve succeeded in getting Fracture Liaison Services mandated in England and Wales to catch people after their first fracture. This year, we’ll support at least six Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to set up high-quality services, as part of a strong first wave of the national rollout.

5. Our All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) will conduct an Inquiry into the changes needed to incentivise better quality services for osteoporosis in primary care. We’ll hold an event in the Northern Ireland Assembly to persuade policy-makers to mandate and fund universal FLS in the province.

Support and Equity
6. We’ll launch our ground-breaking new medication support programme, giving 15,000 people crucial help with their medication. Meanwhile, our Osteoporosis Connect project will expand the reach of our online and offline communities, supporting people 90,000 times.

7. We’ll help people with osteoporosis get on top of the condition by launching two brand new, high-impact support services.