Link
http://www6.aaos.org/news/Pemr/press_release.cfm?prnumber=543
San Diego, CA
02/14/2007
Running, basketball and other high-impact sports may
lead to stronger bones as people age, according to a new
study presented today at the 74th Annual Meeting of the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Measurements
conducted on senior Olympic athletes found that the bone
mineral density (BMD) for those who participated in
impact sports was significantly greater than athletes
who competed in low-impact sports like swimming and
cycling.
“While we know that exercise is vital as we get
older, this study finds that the kind of exercise we
choose can be just as important,” said Vonda Wright, MD,
lead author and assistant professor in the department of
orthopedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center. “The findings show that a key to
maintaining strong, healthy bones as we age is to engage
in impact sports.”
The study evaluated 298 athletes competing in the
2005 Senior Olympic Games in Pittsburgh. The athletes,
ages 50 to 93, completed a health-history questionnaire
and underwent ultrasound to measure BMD. The BMD T-score
for athletes in the high-impact group was .4±1.3 versus
-1±1.4 for athletes in the non-high impact group. After
controlling for age, sex, obesity and osteoporosis
medication, participation in high-impact sports was
found to be a significant predictor of BMD.
“The costs associated with caring for people with
osteoporosis and fractures caused by frail bones are
rising as the population ages,” Dr. Wright concluded.
“Our study implies that persistent participation in
impact sports can positively influence bone health even
in the oldest athletes.”
Osteoporosis is a disease of progressive bone loss
affecting 28 million Americans and contributing to an
estimated 1.5 million bone fractures per year. One in
two women and one in five men over age 65 will sustain
bone fractures due to osteoporosis.
