To Your Health
May, 2023 (Vol. 17, Issue 05) |
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Love Your Strong Bones
By Editorial Staff
What comes to mind when you think about love?
The heart, of course. When you think about bone health, the heart should also come to mind, because in women, strong bones seem to improve heart health, too. Let's see what new study findings suggest regarding this intriguing association.
Based on a review of medical records among women (ages 50-80) who received a DXA scan to check for osteoporosis, researchers found that heart attack / stroke risk was associated with bone strength: the higher the bone mineral density in the lumbar spine, femoral neck or hip (evidence of thinning / weakened bones), the lower the risk of heart attack / stroke during a nine-year (on average) tracking period. Women not diagnosed with osteoporosis also had a dramatically lower cardiovascular disease risk compared to women diagnosed with osteoporosis.
The study accounted for other risk factors that could have elevated the risk of suffering a heart attack / stroke, such as age, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and a previous bone break. In other words, even when considering these factors, a woman's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke was significantly associated with their bone strength. Findings appear in Heart, a British Medical Journal publication.
Women, love your strong bones! You can't control your age, but you can control other factors that impact bone health, including diet, exercise and more. Talk to your doctor for more information.
