Heredity plays a role in determining whether people under 69 will suffer a first hip fracture, a new study says.
The influence of heredity is also significant for those between 69 and 79. It decreases for people who are older than 79, according to Swedish researchers at Uppsala University Hospital. Authors wrote on the study in the Sept. 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Researchers discovered that genes’ influence on older people’s susceptibility to bone fractures depends on the type of fracture and the person’s age. They studied more than 6,000 elderly twins who suffered fractures. More than half the fractures were due to osteoporosis.
For advice on how to prevent falls and fractures, visit the U.S. National Institute on Aging Web site at http://www.niapublications.org.
