How little issues can cut back hip fractures: Study

A brand new Australian examine reveals that easy bone-strengthening measures utilized by your complete neighborhood, not simply these at larger danger, might end in a major discount in hip fractures.

A hip fracture, notably within the aged, dramatically will increase the chance of loss of life. Around 37 per cent of males and 20 per cent of ladies die inside one 12 months of a hip fracture. It additionally causes important ache and struggling, lack of mobility and independence, and elevated healthcare prices.

Distinguished Professor Tuan Nguyen, a world-leading researcher in osteoporosis from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) who spearheaded the examine, mentioned it will be significant for individuals to take easy measures to enhance their bone well being, even when they don’t have osteoporosis, and even when the measures appear to have minor advantages to them.

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“Osteoporosis is a disease characterised by weak and brittle bones caused by bone loss. Osteoporotic individuals have the highest risk of a hip fracture, and pharmacologic treatment can reduce this risk by around 50 per cent,” mentioned Professor Nguyen.

“However, the majority of hip fractures occur in people who do not have osteoporosis, so it is important for everyone, especially the elderly, to take action to improve their bone health. Bone mineral density is modifiable, and even small improvements reduce the risk of a fracture.

“Bone health is affected by lifestyle factors such as smoking, physical activity and nutrition, including vitamin D and dietary calcium intake. Stopping smoking, maintaining moderate physical activity, and eating a healthy diet can all help reduce bone loss.”

The examine ‘Prevention of hip fractures: trade-off between minor benefits to individuals and large benefits to the community’ was just lately revealed within the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, with co-authors from The Garvan Institute of Medical Research and UNSW Sydney.

The researchers analysed information from the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study, one of many longest working research on osteoporosis on the earth. It contains greater than 3000 people over 60 years of age, who’ve been tracked over time for fracture incidence and danger elements.

They discovered that between the primary cohort in 1988-92 and the second in 1999-2001, bone mineral density elevated by 3 per cent. During the identical interval, there was a forty five per cent lower in hip fractures, a decline sometimes related to a ten per cent rise in bone mineral density.

British epidemiologist Geoffrey Rose postulated {that a} population-based measure bringing a small profit to every particular person can yield giant advantages to the neighborhood. The present examine helps this axiom, by exhibiting a small enhance in bone density led to a considerable discount in hip fractures.

Professor Nguyen attracts a parallel with sporting a automotive seatbelt. “Wearing a seatbelt might bring little benefit to an individual because the probability of having a car accident is very low, but we know this simple action does save lives in the community.”

“Some people who are following medication regimens or engaging in lifestyle modification programs and notice a slight change in bone mineral density might believe that these measures hold little benefit for them. Nonetheless, even these minor effects can lead to a substantial reduction in fracture risk for the community,” he mentioned.

Epidemiologist and first writer Dr Thach Tran mentioned the examine findings might be of curiosity to public well being policymakers and medical professionals, in addition to people who wish to cut back their danger of a hip fracture.

“Our study suggests that population strategies focused on reducing risk in those at low or moderate risk are likely to be more effective than strategies just focused on high-risk individuals,” he mentioned.

“The findings also imply that the categorization of bone mineral density into osteoporosis or non-osteoporosis based on an arbitrary threshold is not an optimal approach for identifying people at high risk of fracture.”

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