| Type 2 diabetes causes almost no pain or discomfort | | | | them weak and susceptible to fractures. If we don't |
| and yet has profound effects on most of the body. | | | | have enough calcium and vitamin D to begin with, we |
| Type 2 is invisible, a chronic disease that does not go | | | | are candidates for osteoporosis. One of the best |
| away...it damages the blood vessels and changes the | | | | ways to get enough calcium is through vegetables |
| blood chemistry; it reaches every organ. One good | | | | such as broccoli and turnip greens. Milk and milk |
| reason for preventing or controlling diabetes has to | | | | products are not the best because their high protein |
| do with hip fractures. | | | | content can interfere with calcium's absorption. |
| Researchers in the Yoo Lin School of Medicine, | | | | And speaking of absorption, be sure to get enough |
| National University of Singapore, looked at diabetes | | | | sunlight to make vitamin D. This does not mean that |
| and the risk of hip fractures in a study reported in | | | | you need to sunbathe for hours and risk skin cancer, |
| the journal Diabetes Care, May 2010. Over 60,000 | | | | but make a point of going for a walk every day. |
| volunteers were followed for an average of 12 years. | | | | That will not only get you some sunlight, enabling |
| Diabetics had almost twice the risk of hip fractures | | | | your body to make vitamin D, but the weight-bearing |
| as non-diabetics. | | | | you do while walking will help your bones to absorb |
| The results were consistent with those of another | | | | the calcium. |
| study published in the Journal of Gerontology, | | | | It has been found women with type 2 diabetes and |
| Biological Science and Medical Science, published in | | | | poor blood sugar control can suffer greater levels of |
| 2002. Workers at the School of Allied Health | | | | bone loss than normal, and they are 1.7 times more |
| Sciences, University of Texas at Galveston, looked at | | | | likely to develop hip fractures. Controlling blood sugar, |
| 3050 people over 65 years old. They were followed | | | | coupled with weight-bearing exercise and calcium |
| up for 7 years. The risk of hip fractures for those | | | | supplements, may reduce the bone loss of |
| volunteers with diabetes was more than one and a | | | | osteoporosis. |
| half times higher than for non-diabetics. | | | | Astronauts in space found that they were losing |
| Hip fractures can have severe consequences, | | | | calcium from their bones despite an adequate diet, |
| including death. Surgical repair is usually highly | | | | because they were weightless. |
| effective, but major surgery carries its own risks, | | | | Smoking and consuming excess alcohol can also |
| particularly in people over 65. Immobility after surgery | | | | prevent your bones from taking in calcium, so if you |
| can lead to pneumonia, skin infections, and heart | | | | smoke, it sounds like a good time to stop. |
| disease. If you are diabetic, consider eliminating all the | | | | Ask your doctor if he or she thinks that testing for |
| modifiable risk factors for broken hips. | | | | osteoporosis is warranted in your case. The tests are |
| One such factor is osteoporosis. As we age there is | | | | simple and painless. |
| a tendency for the bones to lose calcium, making | | | | |