title: Physical activity, muscle strength, and calcium intake in fracture of the proximal femur in Britain.
abstract: Regular exercise and high calcium intake possibly help to preserve bone mass. Little is known, however, about their role in preventing hip fracture. The physical activity and calcium intake of 300 elderly men and women with hip fractures were compared with those of 600 controls matched for age and sex. In both sexes increased daily activity, including standing, walking, climbing stairs, carrying, housework, and gardening protected against fracture. This was independent of other known risk factors, including body mass, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. Strength of grip correlated with activity and was inversely related to the risk of fracture. Calcium intake was not related to the risk of fracture in women. Men with daily calcium intakes above 1g had lower risks. These findings point to the importance of elderly people in Britain maintaining physical activity in their day to day lives.
authors.affiliation: MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wickham
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000517:prevention & control; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary