Being overweight or obese can cause a number of different problems for your health, but a recent study found that it may also be linked to a higher risk of bone fractures
To better understand the connection between bone fracture risk and obesity, researchers tracked 20,000 Canadian men and women between the ages of 40 and 70. During a mean follow-up of 5.8 years, 497 women and 323 men suffered a fracture. There were 416 major osteoporotic fractures, with 260 in women and 155 in men, 353 leg fractures, with 219 in women and 134 in men, and 203 arm fractures, with 141 in women and 62 in men (some fractures were double classified).
Next, researchers looked at waist circumference and cross-referenced it with fracture data. What they found was that for every two-inch increase in waist circumference in women, the risk fracture at any site was 3 percent higher and the risk of a leg fracture was 7 percent higher. The strongest link between waist circumference and ankle fractures was when examining ankle fractures. Here’s a look at some more statistics from the survey:
- In women, greater body mass index was associated with a greater risk of leg fractures.
- Compared with women with a BMI of 25, those with a BMI of 27.5 had a five percent greater risk of leg fractures, while those with a BMI over 40 had a 40 percent higher risk.
- Conversely, those with a BMI of 22.5 had a five percent lower risk.
Researchers stopped short of saying exactly why obesity is associated with a higher risk of fracture in women, but they believe it’s likely due in part to the fact that many fractures are caused by falls, and falls are more common among overweight and obese individuals.
“Waist circumference was more strongly associated with fractures in women than BMI. This may be due to visceral fat — fat that is very metabolically active and stored deep within the abdomen, wrapped around the organs — secreting compounds that adversely affect bone strength,” said study author Dr. Anne-Frederique Turcotte, from the endocrinology and nephrology unit at CHU de Quebec Research Centre, in Quebec City. “We also know that people with obesity take longer to stabilize their body, when they trip, for example. This is particularly pronounced when weight is concentrated at the front of the body, suggesting that individuals with distribution of body fat in the abdominal area may be at higher risk of falling.”
Interestingly, among men, a higher BMI and greater waist circumference were not significantly associated with fractures.