Brothers and sisters of people with the bone disease osteoporosis are six times more likely to get the illness themselves, according to Oxford researchers.
Siblings of osteoporosis sufferers are more likely to have thinner bones than the general population, a study at the Radcliffe Infirmary and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre has found.
Although doctors already know the disease has strong genetic links, most studies focus solely on women, because one in three suffer from osteoporosis in the UK, compared to one in 12 men.
As a result, more women are screened for the disease - which can start to affect them during menopause.
Specialist registrar Dr Emma Duncan said the study proved more men should be screened for osteoporosis.
The disease, which costs the NHS £900m every year, leads to brittle bones and repeated fractures and is caused by low bone density. The number of patients affected are expected to increase in future years.
Dr Duncan said: "This is the first time the sibling connection has been calculated and has important implications for the screening of relatives."
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