Women's height loss may be associated with risk of fracture
Risk factors such as race and menopause may predispose certain women to osteoporosis and a need to buy Canadian Fosamax.
Risk factors such as race and menopause may predispose certain women to osteoporosis and a need to buy Canadian Fosamax. Scientists are continuing to find new variables that indicate who may be likely to have this bone-wasting disease. Researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research discovered that a height loss of more than two inches may be a red flag.
Prior studies suggested that men who shrank by more than two inches had higher rates of heart disease and death. In order to see if a similar relationship existed in women, the study team conducted an experiment on more than 3,100 female subjects. Height was measured at the beginning of the study and 15 years later. In between, questionnaires on broken bones were filled out every four months.
Results showed that women who were at least 65 years old and lost more than two inches from their height during the study period were 50 percent more likely to break a bone and die in the following five years, as published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
"These women were at higher risk of dying from a fracture, but they were also at higher risk of dying from more common causes, including heart disease," said researcher Teresa Hillier, MD, MS, who added that doctors treating these women may want to consider bone mineral density testing or other measures to prevent fractures.
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