Estrogens and Male Osteoporosis

Estrogens play an important role on bone health in men since they are needed for the achievement of peak bone mass at puberty and prevent bone loss in adulthood. Recent advancements in the comprehension of estrogen action on bone have pointed out on the importance of relative estrogen deficiency in men with low serum testosterone as a major determinant of osteoporosis in hypogonadal men. The recent use of mass spectrometry for sex steroid measurements also in the setting of clinical laboratories will allow the monitoring of both hypogonadism and testosterone therapy having as endpoint the normalization of serum estradiol too in addition to serum testosterone.