Die Osteoporose ist überwiegend, aber nicht nur weiblich!

In Germany 5.6 million people are affected by the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Of these 80% are women. The costs of treating fractures caused by osteoporosis are high. The frequency of osteoporosis-related fractures has significantly increased in recent years and is expected to continue to rise in the coming years. The development of human bones until maximum bone mass is reached in young adulthood differs between the sexes and men achieve a higher peak bone mass. In both sexes, the effect of estrogen on the bones is responsible for the growth spurt during puberty and the subsequent closure of the growth plates. The loss of bone mass occurs in old age in both sexes but in women this loss is faster in the early postmenopausal period and they therefore reach a relevant fracture threshold earlier. Here too, the influence of sex hormones plays a crucial role. The treatment of osteoporosis does not fundamentally differ between the sexes but the range of approved medications is higher for women.