Lactose malabsorption and calcium intake as risk factors for osteoporosis in elderly New Zealand women.
OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the prevalence of lactose malabsorption and to assess dietary calcium intake, in elderly New Zealand women with hip fractures, in age matched case controls without hip fractures drawn from general practice, and in healthy young women.


METHODS
lactose malabsorption was assessed by measuring breath hydrogen after a 50 g oral lactose tolerance test. Dietary calcium was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire.


RESULTS
the elderly fracture cases (n = 15), and their elderly controls (n = 16), showed a similar (60% and 63% respectively), but significantly higher prevalence (p less than 0.001), of lactose malabsorption than young women (12%, n = 50). Dietary calcium intake was similar in lactose absorbers and malabsorbers.


CONCLUSIONS
malabsorption of lactose occurs commonly in elderly New Zealand women but is scarce in young adults. A high prevalence of lactose malabsorption may be a risk factor for exacerbation of type II osteoporosis in the elderly.
Wheadon
M
M
Department of Medicine, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin.
Goulding
A
A
Barbezat
G O
GO
Campbell
A J
AJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000172:deficiency; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007787:Lactose Intolerance / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002118:Calcium