The best ways to prevent a life-altering hip fracture

For anyone over a certain age (especially women), breaking a hip is a top-of-the list worry.

And for good reason.

A lot of seniors believe that it can be a death sentence. And far too often, it is.

But for many, the biggest fear of all is losing their independence and being put in an assisted-living facility – or worse, a nursing home.

And that’s not too far from what a new study has discovered. In fact, this research found that more than half of those over 65 who break a hip never again regain their prior level of independence.

What this tells us is that it’s more urgent than ever to take some easy steps that will not only help keep you on your feet, but with strong bones!

Tips to protect your hip

You could call this the “glass half empty” study.

Dr. Victoria Tang, with the geriatric surgery wellness program at the University of California, wants us all to have “realistic expectations” about what happens to seniors who break a hip.

She says family members need to prepare for “future care needs.” And we all know what that means. At the very least, she’s saying get ready to need help with daily activities, like dressing or going to the bathroom.

And at the worst, Dr. Tang is referring to a nursing home.

Of course, considering what she found in her research, it’s hard to blame her for being so negative.

Looking at the outcomes for over 700 seniors who suffered a hip fracture, the likelihood of regaining their past “level of function” was less than 50 percent. And here’s the most depressing part.

It didn’t matter if you walked miles uphill to the gym every day — Dr. Tang said that even those who were “very physically active” only had a slightly better chance of bouncing back to normal.

All in all, she reported that only a third of hip-fracture patients recovered well enough to live without assistance.

It’s quite clear that the best defense is a good offense. So first, here are some good ways to make sure you don’t take that fall in the first place:

• Check your meds: There are a large group of drugs that can affect your balance and make you dizzy. Ones such as antidepressants, sleeping pills, benzo drugs for anxiety and even OTC meds like Tylenol PM and Benadryl should be avoided.
• Watch your blood pressure: If you often find yourself dizzy when you stand up quickly or first get out of bed, go slow and wait until it passes before you get up. And while we’re on the subject of blood pressure, another study out of Yale found seniors taking blood pressure meds had a giant 40 percent greater risk of a serious fall. So, if you’re on one, check with your doc and make sure you really need it.
• Don’t let new glasses trip you up: Stronger lenses, especially progressives (if you’re not used to them) can easily cause a fall, so watch your step.
• Practice your balance: Start taking a yoga or Tai Chi class to improve your balance.

Not falling is obviously very important. But of course, despite our best efforts, anyone can take a spill. And that’s where these three tips for strong bones can protect you from suffering a fracture.

Tip #1: Don’t take proton pump inhibitors for acid reflux. These drugs, such as Nexium and Prilosec, are well known to increase your risk of a sudden bone break.

Tip #2: Add a high-quality vitamin K2 supplement to your routine. Vitamin K has been found to increase bone density and reverse bone loss! The only caution with K is that it can interfere with blood thinning meds.

Tip #3: Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D, either from sunshine or from a daily supplement. For most people, 800 – 1,000 IUs daily is considered the right amount – but if you’re deficient or your immune system has been compromised, you may need more.

“Less than half of older hip fracture patients fully recover: Study” Don Rauf, October 25, 2016, HealthDay, consumer.healthday.com