Study: How little changes may lower the risk of hip fractures

According to a recent Australian research, the population as a whole, not just those at greater risk, might significantly lower the number of hip fractures by using simple bone-strengthening techniques.

A hip fracture significantly raises the chance of mortality, especially in the elderly. Within a year following a hip fracture, around 37% of men and 20% of women pass away. Additionally, it results in substantial discomfort and suffering, a loss of independence and movement, and higher healthcare expenses.

Distinguished The study’s principal investigator, Professor Tuan Nguyen of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), is a world authority on osteoporosis. He stressed the importance of people taking easy steps to improve their bone health, even if they don’t have osteoporosis and even if those steps only seem to benefit them marginally.

“Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by weak and fragile bones brought on by the loss of bone. The risk of a hip fracture is greatest in osteoporotic people, and medication may lower this risk by around 50%, according to Professor Nguyen.

“However, the majority of hip fractures occur in persons without osteoporosis, making it crucial for everyone to take steps to strengthen their bones, particularly the elderly. Even modest increases in bone mineral density lower the chance of breaking a bone.

“Living a healthy lifestyle includes activities like exercise, quitting smoking, and eating a diet high in calcium and vitamin D. Reducing bone loss may be aided by quitting smoking, engaging in moderate exercise, and eating a balanced diet.

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research and UNSW Sydney collaborated on the research, “Prevention of hip fractures: trade-off between minor benefits to individuals and large benefits to the community,” which was just published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

One of the world’s longest-running studies on osteoporosis, the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study, provided data for the researchers’ analysis. More than 3000 people over the age of 60 who have been monitored for fracture incidence and risk factors throughout time are included in the study.

They discovered that the bone mineral density rose by 3% during the 1988–1992 first cohort and the 1999–2001 second cohort. Hip fractures dropped by 45% during the same time period, a drop that is often accompanied by a 10% increase in bone mineral density.

Geoffrey Rose, a British epidemiologist, proposed that a population-based intervention that helps the community as a whole more than the individual beneficiaries could do. This premise is supported by the present research, which found that a modest increase in bone density resulted in a substantial decrease in hip fractures.

Professor Nguyen compares it to using a seatbelt in a vehicle. The likelihood of an automobile accident is quite unlikely, so wearing a seatbelt may not help an individual personally, but we do know that this simple step saves lives in the community.

“Some persons who are taking prescribed medications or participating in lifestyle change programs and experience a minor change in bone mineral density may think that these actions won’t help them much. Nevertheless, even these insignificant impacts may significantly lower the community’s fracture risk, the expert noted.

First author and epidemiologist Dr. Thach Tran said that people who desire to lower their risk of a hip fracture as well as public health officials and medical experts would find the study’s results interesting.

“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,” the researcher said.

The results also suggest that dividing bone mineral density into categories of osteoporosis and non-osteoporosis based on arbitrary thresholds is not the best strategy for determining who is most at risk of fracture.