Age does not influence the bone response to treadmill exercise in female rats.

Purpose: Because it is believed that bone may respond to exercise differently at different ages, we compared bone responses in immature and mature rats after 12 wk of treadmill running.

Methods: Twenty-two immature (5-wk-old) and 21 mature (17-wk-old) female Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into a running (trained, P = 10 immature, 9 mature) or a control group (controls, P = 12 immature, 12 mature) before sacrifice 12 wk later. Rats ran on a treadmill five times per week for 60-70 min at speeds up to 26 m.

Community-based exercise program reduces risk factors for falls in 65- to 75-year-old women with osteoporosis: randomized controlled trial.

Background: Exercise programs improve balance, strength and agility in elderly people and thus may prevent falls. However, specific exercise programs that might be widely used in the community and that might be "prescribed" by physicians, especially for patients with osteoporosis, have not been evaluated. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of such a program designed specifically for women with osteoporosis.

Knee extension strength is a significant determinant of static and dynamic balance as well as quality of life in older community-dwelling women with osteoporosis.

Background: Determinants of balance have not been well studied in women with osteoporosis yet falls are the major cause of fracture in this population.

Objective: To describe the associations among knee extension strength, medication history, medical history, physical activity and both static and dynamic balance in women diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Methods: We assessed health history, current medication and quality of life by questionnaire in 97 community-dwelling women with osteoporosis.

Why is the age-standardized incidence of low-trauma fractures rising in many elderly populations?

Low-trauma fractures of elderly people are a major public health burden worldwide, and as the number and mean age of older adults in the population continue to increase, the number of fractures is also likely to increase. Epidemiologically, however, an additional concern is that, for unknown reasons, the age-standardized incidence (average individual risk) of fracture has also risen in many populations during the recent decades. Possible reasons for this rise include a birth cohort effect, deterioration in the average bone strength by time, and increased average risk of (serious) falls.