Men's Bones Matter Too, a Cross Sectional Study Examining Bone Health among Men with Intellectual Disability in Ireland.

Abstract

Globally between 30-40% of all osteoporotic fractures occur among men, with a quarter of all hip fractures, the most serious complication of osteoporosis, occurring in men. Among men of 50 years of age or older, osteoporotic fracture risk reaches an alarming 20%. What is of great concern is that associated mortality is greater among men when compared with women. For hip fractures specifically, mortality for men is two to three times that in women which may be attributed to the fact that osteoporosis is often considered a “women’s disease”. Of great concern is that there is a paucity of bone health investigation among men with intellectual disability. In the Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, objective bone status of 244 men was measured using a quantitative ultrasound. Participant’s also self-reported doctor’s diagnosis of health conditions including osteoporosis, medication and fracture history with the assistance of key workers/family. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Faculty of Health Sciences Trinity College and all participating service providers. Overall, 70.9% of men presented with poor bone health, with 57.8% taking at least one medication that contributed to osteoporosis/osteopenia. Men had a high prevalence of fracture (21.7%) despite this less than 18% had attended bone health screening. In light of these findings, it is time for the spotlight to focus on men’s bone health and for healthcare professionals to realise how ‘at risk’ of osteoporosis are men with intellectual disability. Projections place men on a trajectory of continuous increased risk of fracture in comparison to women.