Biological brothers sought for IU study of osteoporosis

While often perceived as a “women’s disease,” osteoporosis also is a common disorder in men. The IU study is the new companion to the ongoing sisters’ study on the disease. Recruiting subjects has been a challenge partly because of the ‘females only’ perception of the disease.

Potential candidates for the brothers’ osteoporosis study must be prepared for a one-time visit to the center which will last three hours and will include a free bone density measurement, free cholesterol screening and blood pressure check. Volunteer pairs must be healthy males age 20-60 and have the same parents.

Successful applicants receive $70 as compensation for a completed visit. For more information, contact Paul Sparks by E-mail at pasparks@iupui or by telephone at 317-274-0950.

http://www.gcrc.iupui.edu/

• More than 350,000 hip fractures occur annually, and as the percentage of the population over the age of 60 increases, hip fracture is becoming an even greater problem. • Although men have about one fourth the incidence of osteoporotic fracture as women, the incidence of osteoporotic hip fracture in women is so high that even at one fourth the rate, it is also a common disorder in men. Thus, it is important to define whether the phenotypes in bone strength are heritable to the same extent as those in women. • Heritability studies on measures of bone strength in men are very limited. Furthermore, studies in mice suggest that sex specific genes may underlie differences in bone strength in men and women.