Carotenoids may reduce hip fracture risk in lean men, say researchers
Lean men, who are at a high risk of developing hip fractures as they age, could help to reduce this risk by consuming higher levels of carotenoids, say a team of scientists from Singapore.
Speaking at the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Regionals Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting, the research team presented data from more than 60,000 Chinese men and women. The new study found carotenoid intake is linked to hip fracture risk in elderly, lean Chinese men.
Led by Professor Dia from the National University of Singapore, alongside researchers from the Singapore Ministry of Health, the team also reported that a low BMI is a stronger risk factor for hip fracture among elderly men compared to women.
Study details
Dai and his colleagues examined the association between dietary antioxidant carotenoids and hip fracture risk across a range of BMI in elderly Chinese men and women using data from 63,257 men and women taking part in the Singapore Chinese Health Study.
The team reported that in this group a total of 1,630 incident hip fractures were identified.
Importantly, they said, analysis found that low BMI is a stronger risk factor for hip fracture risk among elderly men compared to women.
Also, in men, hip fracture risk decreased with increasing intakes of total vegetables and of total carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene.
This protective effect was higher in lean men than in men with higher BMI, they said.
In contrast, the intake of vegetables or carotenoids had no association with hip fracture risk in women, regardless of levels of BMI.
