New study reveals that osteoporosis is a risk for men aged 35 to 50 years

• A new study found that a quarter of men aged 35 to 50 had low bone density.
• This condition, which affects mainly postmenopausal women, increases the risk of fractures, permanent bone lesions and osteoporosis.
• The results challenge current screening recommendations, which only apply to people over 50 years of age.
• Doing weight-bearing exercises, getting enough calcium and vitamin D, and avoiding smoking or drinking are the best ways to prevent bone loss.
• See the INSIDER home page for more stories.

Men under 35 are generally not concerned about the sturdiness of their bones, especially if they visit the gym regularly.

However, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, more than a quarter (28%) of men between the ages of 35 and 50 suffer from osteopenia, or weaker bones than the normal. This condition increases the risk of fractures, permanent bone lesions and osteoporosis.

The results of the study showed that bone density problems were present even though most male participants reported doing exercise about five times a week. A slightly lower proportion of women in the same age group (26%) also had this condition.

"We usually badociate bone mineral density loss with postmenopausal women, but our findings showed a high risk in younger men," said Martha Ann Bbad, lead author of the study, badociate professor at University of Mississippi. "Almost all participants with osteopenia were surprised and I think it was more of a problem than we could expect."

The researchers used bone scan technology to determine the bone density of participants and distributed a questionnaire to measure calcium intake, exercise program, smoking habits, family history, and past injuries.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis have been primarily clbadified as female problems, especially in older women, in part because estrogen levels decline when the woman is menopausal, which affects the loss. bone. According to the US Office on Women 's Health, 80% of the 10 million Americans with osteoporosis are women. But genetic, racial, ethnic, and lifestyle factors, including smoking, low calcium intake, and physical inactivity can contribute to bone loss in all populations, including young men.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation does not currently screen men and women under 50 years of age. But the new study suggests that screenings could also benefit younger people and that subsequent behavioral changes that tests might inspire.

People usually reach their "maximum bone mbad" at age 20, according to the National Institutes of Health. Ideally, parents help their children improve their bone health by following a diet and exercising during their childhood. Children aged 4 to 8, for example, should consume 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day, says the NIH. (This would be about 16 ounces of milk, 8 ounces of broccoli rabe, and 4 ounces of calcium fortified tofu.) Children ages 9 to 18 should aim for a higher intake of 1,300 milligrams a day.

"The good news is that the sooner you start, the more you have to try to build bones," INSIDER told the study's author, Allison Ford, a professor at the University of Mississippi.

Maintaining bone density throughout your life requires weight-bearing exercise, getting enough calcium and vitamin D, and avoiding cigarettes and excessive amounts of alcohol.

Read more: 6 myths about weightlifting that we must stop believing

"We can not build bone after reaching peak bone mbad, so the goal is to keep the bone you have," Ford said.

Any changes to the protocols for patients to be tested for bone density and at what age will not be established overnight. This would probably require more insurance companies. Patients may also need information about the risk of bone loss, as many may be reluctant to get scanned because of radiation concerns, according to the study's authors.

An effort to update the recommendations would also require more research. The present study had several limitations: it involved a relatively small sample (173 people), almost all of them Caucasian. The researchers also did not examine how factors such as weight, non-dairy calcium sources, and types of exercise could have affected participants' bone density.

"It's a surprising discovery and we need to do more research on men," Ford said. "And people need to have a scintigraphy earlier."