Back in the Fall, we noted the looming public health concern of an epidemic increase in bone fractures that may arise from the aging of our population. With perhaps justified concern, the fracture that may be the most troubling is that of a hip fracture. Data about the nature and harm of this injury is substantial. According to the CDC, more than 95% of hip fractures are due to falls, and women experience ¾ of all hip fractures. Estimates are that each year, over 300,000 people in the US experience a hip fracture, the overwhelming majority of whom are over 65 and fall in their homes or the community. The average age of a hip fracture patient is about 80 years old, and it’s estimated that such patients spend $40,000 in the year following their hip fracture as a result of the fracture (with the annual US expenditures due to hip fractures in excess of $17 billion). Perhaps most ominously, new research out of Hong Kong points to a doubling of worldwide hip fractures by the year 2050. Those over 85 are thought to be at special risk, along with a growing population of older men.

Most hip fractures require surgical repair and that needs to happen within 1-2 days of the injury (undoubtedly necessary given the usual pain of such injuries), though post-surgical treatment now means getting up and out of bed as quickly (and carefully) as possible. Even with this repair and post-therapy, a substantial number of patients never walk again and many must enter a long-term care facility. Moreover, 27% of patients die within a year of hip fracture. So whatever else you take away, it’s clear that the impact of a hip fracture can be substantial and life-altering, and potentially even life-ending for some patients.

Of course, given the cause of this injury, the most important way to prevent a hip fracture is to prevent a fall, along with general efforts to keep yourself safe and healthy as you age. There’s just no getting around the reality that fall prevention is hip fracture prevention and all of the efforts to lower fall risks– strength and balance exercises, vision and hearing tests, safety measures in the home, etc- are critical for hip fracture avoidance. As well, improving bone density through diet and proper nutrition is critical to lowering your risk of a hip fracture, even if you sustain a fall. Several recent research reports have focused on diet as a means to lower the risk of a hip fracture. For example, a recent study out of Edith Cowan University in Australia looked at the intake of Vitamin K1 among 1400 older Australian women for a period of 14.5 years. Those who ingested higher levels of Vitamin K1 (which can be found in such fruits and vegetables as spinach, kale, broccoli, kiwi, avocados, and prunes) cut their risk of hospitalization from a hip fracture in half. Another recent study published in Clinical Nutrition reports that increasing protein consumption along with regular consumption of coffee or tea may help reduce the risk of hip fractures in women. There is also research suggesting that a vegetarian diet is linked to more hip fractures in women. Published in BMC Medicine, this study reports that “Women who eat a vegetarian diet have significantly higher risks of suffering a hip fracture compared with peers who eat meat (including poultry) even occasionally.” The worry is that those following a vegetarian diet may get insufficient amounts of protein, calcium, and vitamin D in their diets. But for those hoping to retrieve those nutrients from plant sources, the editors of The Age Well project have advice on how to up your intake while maintaining your allegiance to a plant-centric diet. To read more, and find some useful recipes, put on your apron and click here.