Fracturing a hip is a classic cliché of old age. But it’s also a genuine health worry for millions of elderly people all round the world. It seems that the people who are most at risk are lean, elderly men; those with a BMI rating of less than 20.
Now it seems there might be a ray of light for future sufferers of this painful and immobilising injury. Researchers from the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Ministry of Health announced their study that reveals a link between carotenoids and a decreased risk of hip factor in lean, elderly men.
In the study, the researchers looked at the association between the dietary antioxidant carotenoids and the risk of hip fracture across a range of BMI in elderly Chinese men and women. They examined 63,257 men and women aged 45 years in 1993. From this number there were 1,630 incidents of hip fracture up to December 2010.
In men, the risk of hip fracture decreased with a higher intake of vegetables and of total carotenoids. The intake of vegetables or carotenoids had no association with hip fracture risk in women, regardless of levels of BMI. Interestingly, the study also suggested that low BMI is a stronger risk factor for hip fracture among elderly men than it is for elderly women.
Carotenoids are found in a number of fruit and vegetables, especially those which are coloured bright yellow or orange. They are converted into vitamin A once inside the body. The study concluded that more research would be required to prove that carotenoid supplements would be effective in reducing the risk of hip fractures in lean, elderly men. If these findings prove to be successful it could be a major step forward for the prevention of hip fractures and improve the wellbeing of millions of elderly people.
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