David hopes that his story will help to raise awareness of osteoporosis amongst men, and encourage those with a family history of osteoporosis to speak to their GP.
David’s story began back in March of 2022, when he was 59. He had hurt his back and despite several visits to the chiropractor, his pain wasn’t improving like he thought it would.
After a month of treatment, the chiropractor suggested asking the GP to refer David for a DEXA scan, recalling treating his father who was found to have several vertebrae fractures.
*There is a huge body of evidence linking osteoporosis and genetics, with many different genes regulating bone mass.¹
“I visited my GP and asked for a scan and he did not hesitate in making the referral. My appointment for the scan arrived quickly and within a couple of weeks the GP rang me with the results.”
David initially didn’t think too much into his family history of osteoporosis, believing that his father developed it due to lifestyle – he was therefore surprised to be diagnosed himself:
“The results were not as I expected; my T-score was -3.1 in the spine and -2.6 in my femur and pelvis.”
David made an appointment to discuss his options going forward. The GP recommended zoledronic acid, a common bisphosphonate drug. Because of its associated side effects, David declined this treatment, instead hoping to find another, more natural, way of improving his bone density.
“I started researching on the internet, using Youtube to find exercises to improve bone density. This is when I found out about the Marodyne LiV device.
I watched all the videos on it, and thought that it sounded too good to be true.”
David did some more research and spoke to the team at MyBones, and the information he received made him sure of making a purchase.
“The device arrived within 12 weeks and I have used it twice a day ever since. I am looking forward to my repeat DEXA scan in 18 months, which will hopefully contain positive news.”
Now 61, David is optimistic that the Marodyne LiV will maintain his bone density, to prevent him from having any fractures in the future.
He was relieved to find out that he had osteoporosis when he did, before any fractures had occurred. He was worried that his diagnosis would stop him from working, or pursuing his hobby of riding motorbikes, but the Marodyne LiV has given him hope for the future.
In the UK, one in five men aged over 50 will have an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime.² Even so, osteoporosis remains largely underdiagnosed in men.
Often, the cause of osteoporosis in men is unknown, although there is thought to be a link to the male hormone testosterone.
Under normal conditions, testosterone interacts with osteoblasts, your bone building cells, to promote bone formation.³ Testosterone therefore plays an important role in maintaining bone density and bone health in men.
Men continue to produce testosterone into old age, but risk of fracture and osteoporosis are increased in men with low levels of testosterone.³
In around half of men, the exact cause of low testosterone is unknown,⁴ but known causes include:
Other known causes of osteoporosis include:
There is a lot more research into osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, and although the disease does affect proportionally more women, it is clear that the effect on men cannot be ignored.
It’s an increasing health problem for all genders, and increased awareness is key to improved diagnosis and treatment.
We can’t ignore the damaging impact osteoporosis has on women’s lives
Up to 80% of us will experience osteoporosis in our lifetimes
To protect patients and healthcare providers, we need to focus on preventing the causes of osteoporosis, not treating the outcomes
