"Diabetes Patients Face Increased Risk of Hip Fractures with Over 10% Weight Loss"

Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital Professor Lee Sewon Research Team
"Maintaining Appropriate Weight and Regular Exercise Reduce Hip Joint Risk"

Professor Lee Sewon, Department of Orthopedics, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A study has found that diabetic patients who lose more than 10% of their body weight actually face an increased risk of hip fractures.

Professor Lee Se-won’s research team from the Department of Orthopedics at Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, announced on the 23rd that their analysis of the correlation between weight changes and the risk of hip fractures in patients with type 2 diabetes showed these results.

The research team utilized the National Health Insurance Service cohort database from 2009 to 2012, classifying 1,447,579 adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during health checkups into five groups based on their weight changes.

Analysis revealed that the group with more than 10% weight loss had a 1.605 times higher risk of hip fractures compared to the weight maintenance group. Following this, the risk of hip fractures was higher in the order of more than 10% weight gain, 5-10% weight loss, and 5-10% weight gain, with the weight maintenance group having the lowest risk.

Additionally, irregularly increasing exercise intensity (MET 500-1000 MET min/week) did not significantly reduce the risk of hip fractures. In contrast, regular exercise was effective in lowering the risk of hip fractures.

The research team explained that while maintaining an appropriate weight lowers the risk of hip fractures, rapid weight loss or gain actually increases the probability of hip fractures. Maintaining weight through regular exercise rather than aggressive weight loss is more effective in reducing the risk of hip fractures.

They added that diabetic patients with obesity need to control their weight to prevent diabetic complications, but since this can increase the risk of hip fractures, efforts to prevent fractures?such as vitamin D and calcium supplementation and muscle strengthening through resistance exercise?are necessary.

Professor Lee Se-won stated, “For patients with type 2 diabetes, maintaining weight through appropriate exercise can most effectively reduce hip fractures,” and added, “Regular exercise is more effective in preventing hip fractures than simply increasing exercise intensity indiscriminately.”

This study was published in the April issue of the international journal Osteoporosis International (IF=4.507).