Walking a distance of 1 kilometer, for example, says a lot about the health of our bones.
Scientists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia have found that people who can’t walk this distance without problems are at risk of having fractures in the next five years, writes Study Finds.
Such a test, they say, is an easy and simple way to identify people who need additional screenings for bone health.
“We found that problems walking even short distances appear to be strongly associated with a higher risk of fracture over the next five years,” says lead study author Professor Jacqueline Center, Head of Garvan’s Laboratory of Clinical Studies and Epidemiology, in – a press release.
That’s the finding after a study of nearly 267,000 Australian adults aged 45 and over.
The study authors found that one in five adults reported experiencing some limitation in walking at the start of the study. Participants with greater walking difficulties were significantly more likely to have a fracture during the follow-up period (five years).
The researchers advise doctors to ask patients who haven’t had a bone density test a question about walking ability, as a free and non-invasive way to tell if someone needs a bone check.
2024-02-03 17:18:00
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