HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Animal Protein and Healtier Bones

Study Abstract

Background & aims

We investigated whether protein intake (PI) is related to osteoporotic fractures (OP) in the elderly by analyzing vegetable protein intake (VPI), animal protein intake (API), and animal/vegetable protein intake ratio (AVR) and by calcium intake (CaI).

Methods

A 1:1 matched by age and sex case–control study with 167 cases was carried out at the Hospital of Jaen (Spain). Cases were patients aged ≥65 years with a low-energy fracture. Controls were people without previous fractures. Diet was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable analyses were fitted using analysis of covariance (for comparison of adjusted means) and conditional logistic regression (estimating adjusted odds ratios [ORs]).

Results

The control-group showed a higher API (p = 0.046) even when CaI was <800 mg/day (p = 0.041). ORs for AVR were 0.68 (0.38–1.19) and 0.38 (0.15–0.98), respectively with a p for trend = 0.046. A PI<15% of the total energy intake showed an OR of 2.86 (1.10–7.43).

Conclusions

Patients with fracture history have lower API suggesting that high API reduce the occurrence of OP in elderly even if CaI is <800 mg/day. A PI<15% of total calories were associated with an increased risk of OP in elderly.

Study Information

María José Martínez-Ramírez, Alberto D. Delgado-Martínez, Manuel Ruiz-Bailén, Carmen de la Fuente, et al.
Protein intake and fracture risk in elderly people: A case-control study
Clinical Nutrition
2011 December
Spain