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Osteoporosis
Older, Thinner Women Risking Hip Fracture?
Thin may be in but it is not without its risks
to older women.
A study of 3,683 women published this month in the Archives
of Internal Medicine has found that weight loss after age 50
raises the risk of hip fractures, a leading cause of injury
and death among the elderly. The risk is particularly pronounced
for middle-aged women who are already thin.
Researchers from the National Institute on Aging and
the National Center for Health Statistics examined data from
a long-term health study involving residents of two Iowa counties
and East Boston, Mass.
They found that a weight loss after age 50 of more than
10 percent was associated with the risk of hip fractures after
age 67, while a 10 percent gain appeared to provide modest protection
against such injuries. The risk of hip fractures was highest
among women who were thin at age 50.
Women who lost weight in middle age, a time when people
tend to gain excess pounds, were more likely to be cigarette
smokers or never to have smoked. They also were more likely
to have two or more medical conditions, such as diabetes, and
were less likely to drink alcohol than women who maintained
or gained weight between middle and old age.
The reasons that weight loss increases the risk of hip
fractures remain unclear. It may contribute to a loss of bone
density, presage an illness or increase the risk of falls, the
chief cause of hip fractures, the authors speculate.
Researchers also found that a weight gain of at least
10 pounds between ages 40 and 60 appeared to increase bone
density and reduce the risk of fractures. Other studies have
found that
a weight gain after age 25 was associated with a reduced risk
of a broken hip.
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