How to Avoid a Broken Hip

The keys—protect your bones and prevent falls

‘What I Learned From HOPE’

HOPE is a program at Lehigh Valley Hospital that can help you prevent or manage osteoporosis. Here’s what a local mother and daughter gained from the program.

Mabel Reeder learned how to strength-train
The 79-year-old Topton woman has had osteoporosis for more than 20 years. When she found out about HOPE from her daughter, Darla Moyer (see below), she signed up to learn how to manage her disease. Reeder says she’s better at reading nutrition labels now, and also appreciates the exercise instruction she received. “Strength-training keeps bones strong,” says Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network endocrinologist Donald Barilla, M.D. “It also builds muscle mass, which can cushion a fall.”

Darla Moyer, R.N., discovered something about calcium
The 53-year-old nurse from Macungie used to start her day with a bowl of Total cereal and milk and a calcium supplement. Moyer, who works for Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network’s 402-CARE phone line, believed she was protecting herself from a family history of osteoporosis. At the HOPE program, “I learned that your body can only absorb so much calcium at a time. The key is getting your calcium throughout the day—so now I take my supplement after dinner.”

Want to Know More about HOPE? Click here.

Think only grandmas in their 90s break their hips? The fact is, a woman’s risk for hip fractures increases as early as age 50 and doubles every five to six years after that. And though this is mainly a women’s health problem, older men also are at risk.

Hip fractures aren’t just painful and inconvenient—they become fatal for nearly a quarter of patients over age 50. “Because a fractured hip takes a long time to heal, the risk rises for blood clots and infections such as pneumonia,” says internist John Nuschke, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “That’s why it’s so important to minimize your risk.” Here’s how:

Strategy #1: Protect your bones

Prevent osteoporosis by staying active and watching your calcium intake, especially during the peak bone-building years before age 30. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity, 1,000 milligrams of calcium (1,500 after menopause) and 400-800 IU of vitamin D daily. Get a baseline bone density test around age 50, or earlier if there’s osteoporosis in your family.

Besides the natural loss of bone density that occurs after menopause, women face other “bone robbers.” Untreated hyperthyroidism can lead to a rapid decline in bone mass—as much as 5 percent over six months. Chronic steroid use also can lead to osteoporosis in men or women.

Strategy #2: Prevent falls

Of the 350,000 hip fractures in the United States every year, 90 percent are caused by falls. You can’t prevent every slip or trip, but you can reduce your risk, says physical therapist Lyn Danni of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Cleaning up clutter is a good place to start. A lot of falls happen when someone runs for the phone and trips over things lying on the floor.” Other simple tips: Remove your throw rugs, and install grab bars for getting in and out of the bathtub.

“Another reason people fall is poor balance,” says Danni’s colleague, physical therapist Giselle Monosa-Hefele. If you’re prone to falling, ask your doctor for a medical assessment to see if your balance is off and to find out what’s causing it.

Finally, taking multiple medications may cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness or poor balance. If you take more than four prescription drugs daily, ask your doctor to review them for possible interactions.

Want to Know More? For tips on preventing osteoporosis and reducing your risk for falls click here. To find out if you’re eligible for a new osteoporosis prevention study using natural progesterone skin cream, call 610-402-CARE.

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