A recent study has found that following the Prudent diet — a health-conscious eating plan — can significantly reduce the risk of hip fractures and heart disease-related deaths among older adults.
Published in Frontiers in Aging, the study explored how a Prudent diet and calcium intake affect the likelihood of hip fractures and cardiovascular-related mortality in seniors.
As people age, the risk of developing conditions such as osteoporosis and heart disease rises sharply, and these age-related illnesses can dramatically increase the likelihood of serious health complications or early death.
Osteoporosis, in particular, weakens bones and raises the risk of hip fractures, which are known to lead to a sharp decline in quality of life and a higher risk of mortality. Likewise, heart conditions, including atrial fibrillation, can cause strokes and dangerous arrhythmias, often with fatal outcomes.
What we eat is crucial in preventing these conditions, and the Prudent diet emphasizes smart, balanced choices.
This eating plan focuses on consuming plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish, while limiting the intake of bread, snacks, and sugary foods — an approach aimed at supporting heart health and strengthening bones.
A research team from the University of Southampton tracked more than 3,000 older adults over 20 years to investigate how diet and calcium intake influenced the risks of fractures and cardiovascular-related deaths.
The results showed that 2% of men and 5% of women experienced hip fractures, while fractures of any kind were recorded in 9% of men and 22% of women. Heart disease-related deaths were reported in 11% of men and 5% of women during the study period.
One of the most noteworthy findings was that participants who closely followed the Prudent diet were less likely to suffer hip fractures.
Interestingly, calcium intake did not significantly affect the risk of hip fractures. However, both adherence to the Prudent diet and sufficient calcium intake were linked to a reduced risk of dying from heart disease.
Based on these results, the researchers concluded that adopting a Prudent diet could be an effective way for older adults to protect themselves against hip fractures and lower their chances of dying from cardiovascular conditions.
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