Men’s Testosterone and Fractures
Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Men over 60 with low testosterone may run an increased risk of osteoporosis-related fractures. Dr. Ken Davis takes a closer look at a study on the subject in today’s 60 Second Housecall.

Low testosterone levels may make men over 60 more likely to suffer an osteoporosis bone fracture.

A team of researchers analyzed data on 609 men older than 60 in Australia. Their findings were reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The men got a bone mineral density test and had their blood levels of testosterone checked. They were followed for almost six years. During that time, 113 men sustained at least one osteoporosis bone fracture.

Osteoporosis, in which bones get dangerously thin, is most common among postmenopausal women. But it can also strike men in advanced age.

Men with osteoporosis bone fractures were more likely than other men to have had low testosterone levels at the study's start.

But researchers caution that the study doesn't prove that low testosterone causes osteoporosis in men. They also advised against testosterone therapy to help men avoid osteoporosis bone fractures until more research is done.

For North Mississippi Medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.