Portland, Ore. -- Armed with a $23 million,seven-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, researchers at Oregon Health Sciences University and five other institutions are launching the first comprehensive study of osteoporosis focused solely on males.
"Osteoporosis is a devastating disease, especially to older men and women," says Eric S. Orwoll, M.D., head of the OHSU Bone and Mineral Unit and principal investigator for the multi-center inquiry. "We have studied its causes and treatment in women, but we know little about it in men."
Osteoporosis reduces bone density, making bones porous and brittle. The greatest harm comes when victims suffer fractures, particularly of the back and hip. Beginning in January, investigators will track some 5,700 men 65 years or older to determine the extent to which the risk of fracture in men is related to bone mass and structure, biochemistry, lifestyle and other factors. As many as one in four men in the U.S. over 65 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetimes (compared to one in two women over 65). However, the numbers of affected men are growing, especially as the overall population ages.
"This study will give us absolutely unique and indispensable information about the causes of osteoporosis in men and will finally provide the knowledge necessary for designing good prevention and treatment approaches," said Orwoll.
An earlier study led by Orwoll found that alendronate, a drug used to treat osteoporosis in women, was also effective in men. This new study will look into all aspects of the disease in men, such as what causes the disease, and how to predict, treat and prevent it. The study will also try to determine if bone mass is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. In women, a relationship has been found between high bone mass and breast cancer, another hormonally sensitive condition.
Other participating institutions include Stanford University and the universities of Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Alabama and California at San Diego. Data will be gathered and analyzed at a coordinating center in San Francisco. OHSU will receive approximately $5 million of the grant to lead the nationwide effort.