Why do old people break bones when they fall? After the age of 50, 3 kinds of nutrients should be supplemented to strengthen the muscles and bones

Uncle Wang is 80 years old this year. He is in good shape. He lives in different units of the same community with his son and daughter-in-law. But in the past year, Uncle Wang has fallen down several times at home and almost died.

First, a year ago, I went to the toilet in the middle of the night and slipped. Later, I tripped over a plug board and broke a bone. Last month, I fell at home and almost lost my life. Fortunately, my daughter-in-law found it in time and called an ambulance to save her life. Just in time to save his life.

The elderly fall and fracture, which is called the "last fall" in life by many people. So what are the ways to prevent this from happening?

1. Osteoporosis is a "silent killer" that endangers the health of the elderly

According to statistics, among people over 60 years old in China, 49% of women will suffer from osteoporosis, and 23% of men will suffer from osteoporosis.

As people age, there is progressive bone loss and chronic inflammation in the body. Some people's unhealthy lifestyle, lack of nutrition, taking drugs, suffering from bone metabolic diseases and other factors will promote the loss of bone mass and induce osteoporosis.

Therefore, once the following symptoms appear, be alert to the coming of osteoporosis:

• hunchback or short stature
• fragility fracture
• General bone pain or low back pain

When middle-aged and elderly people have osteoporosis, the biggest health hazard is fragility fractures, that is, fractures that occur only after a slight external force.

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, one-third of women and one-fifth of men over the age of 50 suffer from fragility fractures due to osteoporosis. Likewise, osteoporotic fractures are one of the leading causes of disability and death in elderly patients .

"Chinese Journal of Orthopedics" pointed out that within one year of hip fracture, 30% of patients died of complications , and the life expectancy of the elderly would also be greatly reduced.

A study in the British "Journal of Internal Medicine" pointed out that the risk of death within one year of the elderly injured by a hip fracture is 2.78 times that of the average person, so a hip fracture is also known as "the last fracture in life ".

2. After the age of 50, 3 kinds of nutrients should be supplemented

When it comes to osteoporosis, many people may think of calcium supplementation, so they blindly eat various calcium tablets or various foods with high calcium content. In fact, preventing osteoporosis is not as simple as everyone thinks, but at the age of 50 The above people, the following nutrients should be willing to add.

1. Calcium

The recommended daily intake of calcium for adults is 800 mg, and the recommended daily intake of calcium for people over 50 years old should be 1000 mg. However, according to the survey, many Chinese people have insufficient calcium intake, so calcium supplementation must be carried out scientifically.

Generally, calcium supplementation is mainly based on dietary supplements, supplemented by calcium supplements . If the dietary calcium supplementation intake is satisfied, additional calcium supplements are not required.

Usually, dietary calcium can be supplemented by eating foods such as dark green vegetables, soy products, and dairy products, while avoiding foods such as alcohol and coffee that affect calcium absorption.

If the dietary calcium supplement does not meet the recommended amount, it is best to take calcium supplements, especially pregnant women, the elderly, and people with low chronic disease activity, you can choose calcium supplements with high elemental calcium content .

2. Vitamin D

Vitamin D can promote the body's absorption of calcium, phosphorus and other substances, and better maintain bone health, so vitamin D supplementation should not fall.

Vitamin D supplementation can be done through sun exposure, dietary supplements, and taking vitamin D supplements.

3. Vitamin K

The calcium absorbed into the human blood also needs to be transported to the bones in order to truly achieve the effect of calcium supplementation. This process requires vitamin K to function.

If you want to supplement vitamin K, you can get it by eating natto, cheese, animal liver, egg yolk and other foods.

3. High-risk groups need to regularly check bone density

To avoid being found by osteoporosis, prevention must be done, and high-risk groups should also have their bone density checked regularly.

The elderly, long-term calcium deficiency, postmenopausal women, smoking, alcoholism, low physical activity and other groups belong to the high-risk group of osteoporosis. Regular bone mineral density monitoring must be carried out, early detection and early treatment, and early intervention to prevent osteoporosis. Looseness occurs.

In addition, in the prevention of osteoporosis and falls, middle-aged and elderly people should pay attention to two points besides eating.

1. Adhere to regular exercise

For the elderly, if they want to prevent falls, they must adhere to regular exercise, such as aerobic exercise, balance exercise, resistance exercise, flexibility exercise, etc.

2. Check the home environment

The elderly are easy to fall at home, so it is necessary to check the home environment regularly, such as try not to put carpets and set no thresholds; in addition, it is best to install night lights in some dimly lit places; install handrails in aisles, bathrooms and other places and many more.

In addition, you can also measure the health of your hips by the following two methods.

Supine test

Lie on your back on the bed with your feet together, feet together, knees out or knees together, feet out. If there is significant pain in the base of the thigh during these two movements, there may be a risk of hip fracture.

sitting test

Sit on a chair, place one leg across the other, and slowly press the knee joint with both hands. If you notice pain in the hip joint, it may mean inflammation or stiffness in the leg.

Elderly people are easily targeted by osteoporosis. Once osteoporosis occurs, fragility fractures may occur, affecting the quality of life and life safety of patients.

Therefore, elderly people must regularly check bone density, early detection, early treatment, and early intervention in order to prevent osteoporosis.

References:

[1] "International Osteoporosis Day | I just passed 50 years old and found that my bone density is low, what should I do? 》. Doctor Xiehe said. 2021-10-20

[2] "Preventing osteoporosis, correct calcium supplementation is very important". Medical Endocrinology Channel. 2021-12-26

[3] "It's not far from falling to death, tell your parents about the key points to prevent falls". Fan Zhihong_Original Nutrition Information. 2021-05-25

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