Dec. 5, 2001 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers have identified several factors women can and cannot change to help prevent the bone disease, osteoporosis.

With the aging population, osteoporosis has become a growing concern for the health community. To increase awareness of factors that contribute to bone health among postmenopausal women, researchers from Washington, D.C., New York and Maryland examined the relationship between adjustable and non-adjustable factors linked with osteoporosis. In an analysis of women aged 50 years and older who had never received hormone replacement therapy, researchers determined several factors are significantly linked to osteoporosis.

Factors that can be controlled include weight and physical activity. Researchers found women who are overweight or obese have lower rates of osteoporosis, suggesting excess body weight may protect against the disease. On the other hand, underweight women tend to have higher rates of osteoporosis. Researchers write, "Women who engage in dieting over a lifetime may have lower intakes of calcium, placing them at increased risk for bone loss." However, researchers recommend women maintain a healthy weight since excess weight is a risk factor for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Results also show females who exercise three to five times each week have lower rates of osteoporosis. Women who did not exercise or who exercised more than five days per week had an increased risk. To their surprise, investigators discovered calcium intake and education did not play a significant role in the risk for osteoporosis.

Factors identified that cannot be controlled are age, race, and mother's history. Women age 60 through 69 had a two-fold increase in the rate of osteoporosis and women over the age of 70 had a four-fold increase. Mexican Americans and Asians appear to have the highest risk and researchers found African-Americans have the lowest. Females in the study whose mothers did not have osteoporosis had a 40-percent reduction in risk.

SOURCE: Journal of Women's Health & Gender-Based Medicine , 2001;10:57-65 Click here if you would like to receive a FREE weekly e-mail on Medical Breakthroughs.

　　From Healthy.net