Men with brittle bones have a much higher risk of death and a shorter life expectancy than those with stronger bones, doctors say.
More than two million people live with osteoporosis, a disease which causes one Australian to be admitted to hospital every five to six minutes, doctors say.
The federal government has listed a new bone protecting medication called Actonel EC through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), providing another option to help reduce the rates of fracture and early death associated with the disease.
Professor Peter Ebeling, head of endocrinology at Western Health in Melbourne, said research found that men with brittle bones had a much higher risk of death than men with stronger bones.
"The study also revealed that having brittle bones can shave 3.7 years from a man's average life expectancy while strong bones can increase life expectancy by 1.7 years."
He said people can check their bone health by having a scan.
Associate Professor Jacqueline Center, senior staff specialist endocrinologist at St Vincent's Hospital, says osteoporosis is largely under-diagnosed and if left untreated, the disease could lead to chronic pain, disability, loss of independence and even premature death.
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