What is it about?
Osteoporosis is often seen as a women’s health issue, but many men also suffer from this condition, which weakens bones and increases the risk of fractures. This review looks at the available treatments for male osteoporosis, including both modern Western medicines and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Modern treatments aim to reduce bone loss and strengthen bones but may come with side effects. TCM offers natural, holistic options—such as herbal formulas like Duhuo Jisheng—that may help improve bone health with fewer side effects. However, while TCM has been used for centuries, more scientific studies are needed to confirm how effective and safe these treatments are. This paper brings together current knowledge from both approaches and suggests combining them may be helpful in treating osteoporosis in men.
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Why is it important?
Osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break, is commonly associated with women. However, many men—especially as they age—are also at risk, and they often go undiagnosed or untreated. This review brings attention to male osteoporosis, a topic that is often overlooked in both clinical practice and research. We explore how current Western medicines work to prevent bone loss and improve bone strength in men, and we also examine Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a promising complementary approach. TCM treatments, such as herbal formulas like Duhuo Jisheng, offer a more holistic strategy and are generally believed to have fewer side effects. What makes our work unique is that we combine both perspectives—modern pharmacotherapy and traditional herbal approaches—in a single, comprehensive review. This is especially timely as the global population ages and more attention is being paid to men’s health. By presenting both evidence-based medicine and long-standing traditional practices, we hope to encourage further research and support a more integrative approach to managing male osteoporosis. Our review may help doctors, researchers, and patients discover new treatment possibilities that are both effective and safer in the long term.
Perspectives
As a researcher deeply engaged in the intersection of modern pharmacology and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I felt it was important to shed light on a topic that is both under-recognized and under-discussed: osteoporosis in men. This condition is often overshadowed by its prevalence in women, yet men also face serious risks of fractures and complications, especially as they age. What motivated me most was the lack of integrated resources that consider both Western medical treatments and traditional holistic approaches. I believe there is untapped potential in TCM, not just as an alternative, but as a complementary strategy that can work alongside pharmacotherapy to offer more balanced and individualized care. This review represents not only a summary of current knowledge but also a call to action—for more inclusive research, better awareness of male bone health, and deeper investigation into the effectiveness of ancient herbal therapies using modern scientific methods. I hope this work sparks further collaboration across disciplines and cultures, ultimately leading to more effective and personalized treatment options for male patients with osteoporosis.
yuan zhong WANG
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Male Osteoporosis: A Comprehensive Review of Treatment Approaches in Modern Pharmacotherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine Interventions, Endocrine Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets, April 2025, Bentham Science Publishers,
DOI: 10.2174/0118715303206506250404180458.
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