If you've been reading the News on Health and Age, you might have noticed that most of the osteoporosis news items focus on bone loss in women. But, older men lose bone mineral density (BMD), too, putting them at greater risk for fractures. In a recent article in the Archives of Internal Medicine, investigators from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study reported that older men who use loop diuretics (drugs that are commonly used in the treatment of high blood pressure and heart failure) have increased rates of bone loss in the hip.

Furosemide, a loop diuretic, is one of the most commonly prescribed generic medications among men who are 65 or older. Loop diuretics can increase the excretion of calcium in urine, which could potentially lead to bone loss. This study examined 3269 men aged 65 years and older - 84 of these men were categorized as continuous users of loop diuretics and an additional 181 men were categorized as intermittent users. The researchers found that continuous and intermittent loop diuretic users had approximately two times more hip bone loss than non-users.

The exact biologic mechanism for the bone loss which may be associated with loop diuretics is unknown, but the risk for potential bone loss and osteoporotic fractures should be considered when loop diuretics are prescribed to older patients, who are at a higher risk for accidents or falls.