Type 3 or secondary osteoporosis occurs equally in men and women and at any age. In men, most cases are due to disease or to drug therapy, but in 30% to 45% of affected individuals no cause can be identified. In various series of osteoporotic patients, secondary osteoporosis accounts for about 40% of the total number of osteoporotic fractures seen by a physician.
This type of osteoporosis is associated with many conditions, including hormonal imbalances (eg, Cushing's syndrome), cancer (multiple myeloma), gastrointestinal disorders (inflammatory bowel disease causing malabsorption), drug use (eg, corticosteroids, cancer chemotherapy, anticonvulsants, heparin, barbiturates, valporic acid, gonadotropin-releasing hormone [GnRH], excessive use of aluminum-containing antacids), chronic renal failure, hyperthyroidism, hypogonadism in men, immobilization, osteogenesis imperfecta and related disorders, inflammatory arthritis (particularly rheumatoid arthritis), and poor nutrition (including malnutrition due to eating disorders).
