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New data on declining fracture rates

In the last few years, I have been reporting about the decreased rates of osteoporotic fracture in the US, Canada, and other highly industrialized countries. I have also noted that these reductions are not due to the use of osteoporosis drugs. New data from Denmark confirms the same positive trend in this Scandinavian country.

Between 1997 and 2006 the hip fracture incidence rate in Denmark declined by 20% in men and 22% in women. During this same time period, use of osteoporosis drugs increased only 1.8% in women and 0.2% in men aged 60+. As the investigators report, the number of prevented hip fractures that could be attributed to drug therapy was only 1.3% in men and 3.7% in women.

So what’s behind Denmark’s drop in hip fractures? Well, researchers are still scratching their heads, but my vote would be increased awareness about — and use of — vitamin D. As I noted in a 2009 medical journal publication, there is good data to suggest that fracture rates worldwide could be reduced by 50% if everyone were to achieve a minimum 32 ng/mL vitamin D blood level.

I’m going to keep an eye out for even more research.

 


References:
Abrahamsen, B and Vestergaard, P. 2010. Declining incidence of hip fractures and the extent of use of anti-osteoporotic therapy in Denmark 1997-2006. Osteoporosis International, 21:373-80.

Brown, Susan E. 2008. Vitamin D and fracture reduction: An evaluation of the existing research. Alternative Medicine Review, 13(1).

 

We created the Osteo Blast blog as our forum to express opinions and educate the public about natural means of supporting and improving bone health and overall wellness. As part of this forum, we sometimes discuss medical issues and medications, and their effects on bone health in general. However, we cannot advise readers about specific medical issues in this forum. If you wish to obtain advice from Susan E. Brown, PhD, about your specific bone health and nutritional concerns, please visit our Consultations page. Other specific medical questions should be referred to your healthcare provider.

 

June 20, 2011 09:32
Bone Fractures  |  Comments (9)

Comments

June 20. 2011 14:39

Dear Dr. Susan Brown,

I am writing you in hope to get your answer on my question.  I am wondering what water is best to drink. In your articles I have found that you recommend drinking spring or filtered water. But you, unfortunately, haven’t focused on the importance of water pH.
Bottled and filtered water has pH about 5.6 that is acidic. As you recommended, people need to drink about 8-10 glasses per day. How this acidic water may influence on bones health?
Many companies that sale alkaline antioxidant ionized water recommend drinking it because it has a lot of benefits for health. I didn’t find any scientific data to prove it. What is your opinion and recommendations? I would be very grateful for your answer.
Sincerely, Dr. Saida

Saida

June 21. 2011 03:19

my question is this.....I have been on Protos 2 for about 5 years now and have decreased the oste so much so that it is back into the osteopenia range. Could i then stop drinking this medication or maybe drink every 2nd day. Kindly give me some advise. It is rather expensive to go to the Dr just to ask this question. thanks

leonie

June 21. 2011 10:00

Dear Leonie,

Unfortunately, it would not be ethical for us to advise you on how to alter your medication protocol. That really is a question for someone who has your full medical history in front of them -- preferably the person who prescribed Protos for you in the first place. We always advise that people look for answers on why the medication was prescribed and seek to address the reason for their bone loss, and that may be the direction you should take with your practitioner if you want to get off the Protos.

Best wishes

Managing Editor

June 25. 2011 11:24

Dear Dr. Saida, I prefer water with a high mineral content seen as hihg dissolved solides in bottled or mineral water).  In my experience ionized, machine-producte "alkaline waters" do no reduce metabolic acidosis. Best wishes, Susan

susan brown

August 24. 2011 11:28

Thanks, Susan, for keeping abreast of information like this and passing it on to us!

Linda D

August 25. 2011 09:49

Dr Susan Brown,

Thank you so much for all this great information. Since my osteoporosis diagnosis, your site has helped me a lot. Im 32 years old and that diagnosis was quite a shock to me and my family. I had  amenorrhea for over 6 years and my doctors had never told me that long term hormonal imbalance was linked to bone health.
My fracture risk is still below 5% (over 10 years) since I dont have any risk factors other than my low done density (T -3.0)
I was told by bone specialists that to halt my bone loss, I might need Forteo or Prolia for 1 year, followed by Bisphosphonates. Im very worried about these medications, especially at my young age. I had read that these medications are all quite risky with long term use and that they are only for post-menopausal women.
Should I still consider medication?
Thank you so much for your help! Its not easy to find info on osteoporosis for people my age.
Hanna

Hanna

August 25. 2011 10:02

Dear Hanna,

The most important piece of information you need in order to decide whether bone drugs are a useful option is whether you are actually losing bone. These drugs are helpful in stabilizing bone loss when you're losing bone rapidly, but they do not actually build strong bone (there are some indications that they increase bone density but weaken bone strength, and may actually increase the risk of an osteoporotic fracture). There are tests your doctor can order to find out whether you're losing bone rapidly -- Dr. Brown has written about these here: http://www.betterbones.com/bonehealth/bonebreakdowntests.aspx. Also, it's generally a good idea to get your vitamin D tested when you have an issue such as this -- if your vitamin D levels are low, optimizing vitamin D levels can be a great help toward improving bone density.

The second factor to look at is, what caused your amenorrhea, and have you addressed (or can you address) the underlying health issue? You might be interested in an interview Dr. Brown did with noted endocrinologist Jerilynn Prior, MD, in which they discussed some matters of relevance to your situation. It's here: http://www.betterbones.com/betterbody/bonehealth-stress-ovulation.aspx

If the hormonal imbalance is in your past, there is a good chance that you can still rebuild your bones over time -- you are still fairly young and with an alkaline diet, adequate vitamin D and nutrient intake, and appropriate exercise and stress management, you likely can improve your T score substantially.

Feel free to browse the site for more suggestions about how to improve your bone health. There are some blog posts discussing the situation of a 27-year-old client of Dr. Brown's that you might learn from (http://www.betterbones.com/blog/post/healthy-bones-at-every-age.aspx). And you could also consider a consult with Dr. Brown herself if you want more personalized guidance than the information on our web pages (there's a link up at the top of the page for Consultation info). Best of luck to you!

Managing Editor

August 26. 2011 18:40

Hi Susan,
with a New Chapter brand supplement I received a coupon towards "Bone Strength Take Care".  It mentions Calcium Source: Plant vs. Rock, limestone vs. their plant source Lithothamnion Calcareum, which they claim is better absorbed,
It also claims to have"TargetCal": Bones, Not Arteries with Vit. K2 (MK-7).
Is all this hype or truth?  I'd appreciate a clarification. My DXA bone scan shows Osteopenia in the Spine -1.1, Osteopenia in the Femur (-2.3 in the Femur Neck Mean and Total Mean, and Osteporosis in the Troch Mean (-3.1)  - whatever those terms mean? After 5 years of biphosphaates I am now 9 months off them.

What do I do? and would the above mentioned calcium supplement help?

Thank you.  sigi

Sigi Schwinge - 212 Tilden Dr.

September 1. 2011 22:19

Hi Sigi,
Good to hear from you.   As you might have noticed from my web articles, in the Better Bones Program we always use vitamin K as MK-7 for it builds bone and protects from arterial calcification.  We use MK-7 right along with all the 20 key bone nutrients, and I produce a product which has all these 20 nutrients which I can tell yo about if you like.  Getting all the bone nutrients in a balanced fashion is the best way to go.

Now that yo are off bisphosphonates for 9 months you could check your urine bone breakdown marker to see if  your bone is stable, or if you are loosing excessive bone (or even gaining bone, I just saw two clients who for various reasons gained bone density going off a bone drug).  Just search my site for "NTx test" and you will find information on this simple urine test.  
As for what you should do, I suggest you do all the steps of my Better Bones Program including using a supplement with all the 20 key bone nutrients, developing our Alkaline for Life Diet, exercise, and detoxification, stress reduction and endocrine balancing as necessary.  Also, I would be happy to help you develop your own personalized program if you like.  Information on consultations is at http://www.betterbones.com/consultations/default.aspx  Best wishes, Susan

Susan E Brown

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