Let’s speak about falls and fractures. A latest examine of over 3,000 veterans caught my eye—and it made me rethink how we method fracture threat altogether.
For years, the medical area has centered virtually completely on bone density and bone medicine. However this examine suggests we may be within the improper lane. We have to shift our consideration towards what’s truly inflicting these fractures: falls.
Blood Strain Medicines and the Hidden Threat
On this examine, veterans who began medicines to decrease blood strain noticed a doubling in hip fracture threat inside simply 30 days. Why? As a result of one widespread facet impact of those medicines is dizziness or lightheadedness when standing—a recipe for falls.
Much more eye-opening: inside these first 30 days, there was a 50% improve in fracture charges. That’s not a sluggish or delicate impact. It’s instant and dramatic.
The Fall–Fracture Connection Is Simple
We’ve all heard the warnings about hip fractures—and for good purpose. They are often life-changing, particularly in older adults. However right here’s the reality:
90–95% of all hip fractures happen due to falls.
And it’s not simply hips. In response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention:
- 85–90% of wrist fractures are attributable to falls
- As much as 50% of vertebral fractures are fall-related
It’s time we shift the narrative from “fractures simply occur” to “falls trigger fractures—they usually’re preventable.”
Fall Prevention Is Fracture Prevention
So what can we do? First, we have to look fastidiously at medicines—not simply blood strain medicine, however all prescriptions—to grasp their influence on steadiness, energy, and coordination.
Second, we should deal with constructing inside stability:
Takeaways from This Research
This examine underscores what I’ve been saying for years: fractures don’t occur in isolation. They’re the downstream results of falls, which are sometimes the results of treatment uncomfortable side effects, nutrient deficiencies, and lack of steadiness and energy.
To really scale back fracture threat, we should deal with fall prevention as a prime precedence.
Closing Ideas from Dr. Susan
Should you’ve been advised that your bones are in danger and that your solely choice is treatment, I encourage you to dig deeper. Ask: what’s my fall threat? What can I do at present to enhance my stability, my energy, and my dietary standing?
As a result of once we forestall falls, we forestall fractures. And that’s a shift value making.
Research Quotation
Miller, J., et al. (2024). Affiliation of Antihypertensive Drug Initiation With Hip Fracture Threat in US Veterans. JAMA Inner Drugs.
Learn the total examine right here.
