Middle-aged men who are even moderately
active in their leisure time are less likely than their sedentary counterparts
to end up with a broken hip later in life, researchers report.
A hip fracture is a common problem in the elderly and can result in
immobility as well as potentially life-threatening complications.
In a study of 3,262 healthy men who were aged 44 or older in the mid-1970s,
the more the men exercised in their free time the less likely they were to break
a hip as they aged.
The investigators found that while vigorous physical activity produced the
lowest risk for hip fracture even moderate activity helped prevent the
disability. They add that work-related activity -- in addition to leisure-time
activity -- also aided in reducing the risk of hip injury.
In the 21-year study, men who exercised at an intensity level equivalent to
jogging or vigorous walking for 30 minutes at least 6 times a month were
considered "conditioning exercisers." Those who exercised less often were
considered "occasional exercisers," and those who did not exercise at all were
considered sedentary.
The results of the study, which was conducted by researchers at the
University of Helsinki and the National Public Health Institute in Finland, are
published in the March 13th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The findings were not surprising, according to Dr. James Garrick, an
orthopedic surgeon and the director for the Center for Sports Medicine at St.
Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco.
A higher level of physical activity can produce benefits in terms of
reducing hip fracture risk in older men, he said in an interview with Reuters
Health. But he pointed out that the benefits of exercise are greater for those
who are sedentary and begin an exercise program than for those who simply
increase the level of activity in which they are already engaging.
"The improvement that occurs going from sedentary to moderate activity is
greater than going from modest to moderate activity," he said.
But don't jump off the couch and run a marathon, Garrick cautioned. People
who are middle-aged and normally sedentary should consult their doctor first --
primarily because several other studies have suggested there are some risks to
exercise as well.
"There's a downside to all of this," he noted. "In the last 4 or 5 years, a
number of articles have documented the fact that athletic activity is tied to an
increased likelihood of arthritic changes in the hips and the knees in both men
and women." Garrick suggested that individuals choose their activity carefully.
"One of the safest things would be brisk walking or cycling because there's
less impact loading," he said. "Men in particular -- because they've
traditionally been more active younger -- are more likely to have problems such
as old knee injuries."
Such individuals should make "sure they are over their old injuries, even a
knee injury that they got when playing high school football 30 years ago," he
said. "Some will have some residual weakness, and they should see someone and
get the completed rehabilitation before engaging in a new activity."
