Hip fracture, early menopause and age

Posted by Liz on Nov 13, 2009 in bone health | 0 comments

Good news for you early menopausers: Australian researchers say that early menopause does not increase the risk for hip fractures due to weaker/lower bone density.

Bone density or bone mineral density (BMD) refers to the individual strength of bones, generally in relation to their calcium content. BMD is known to decline rapidly during the time period that immediately follows menopause, leading to osteoporosis and hip fractures. Because there have been lingering questions regarding how early menopause influences fracture risk, researchers decided to undertake a study that would sort out the relationship of age, menopausal status and age at menopause to hip fractures. Over 561,000 pre-, peri- and postmenopausal women who had never used hormone replacement therapy participated in the study (which lasted, on average, 6 years).

They found that hip fractures were about twice as likely in postmenopausal versus premenopausal women. But more importantly, when age was factored in, this relationship dropped out. In fact, rates of hip factors was as much as seven times higher among women who were between the ages of 70 and 74 compared to women between the ages of 50 and 54. What’s more, age at menopause had little effect on fracture risk.

What you can do now…..

• Calcium – OHC is a formulation that has recently been shown to impart greater protection against bone loss than calcium carbonate.
• Isoflavones – Here, type/source may be important.
• Exercise – Including weight bearing, resistance and strength-training.

Meanwhile, if you are in early menopause, here’s one risk you don’t have to worry about. It’s no reason not to take preventive measures to prevent bone loss in older age. But it is a reason to breathe a bit easier.