The Secret to Fewer Fractures and a Stronger Heart After 60?
“People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health… and treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.” — Wendell Berry.
As a 62-year-old competitive bodybuilder and practicing physician, I live at the crossroads of prevention and recovery.
I see the toll of poor habits daily — heart disease, fractures, strokes — and I feel, in my bones and muscles, the resilience that comes from eating with purpose.
That’s why I find a recent study from the University of Southampton (United Kingdom) compelling.
For two decades, researchers followed older adults and found this:
Those who ate more prudently — think whole, nutrient-rich foods — had lower risks of fractures and cardiovascular death.
Aging
As we age, certain health risks start to climb sharply — two of the biggest being heart disease and bone fractures.
In fact:
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for adults over 65.
Hip fractures in older adults often lead to serious complications and a significantly higher risk of mortality.
However, a recent long-term study offers some encouraging news.
A New Study – The Secret to Fewer Fractures and a Stronger Heart After 60?
The study authors wondered how lifestyle choices influenced long-term outcomes.
Here are the two major health outcomes they examined:
Fractures (especially of the hip), a particularly common and dangerous problem for older individuals.
Cardiovascular mortality (deaths secondary to stroke or heart-related conditions)
Results
Here are the results:
Participants who consistently made healthier, more “prudent” dietary choices had fewer fractions and lower rates of heart disease-related deaths.
A “prudent” diet
The study did not prescribe a single diet plan.
Instead, the investigators discovered that the healthier eaters generally ate more whole fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and fiber-rich foods (think whole grains and legumes).
Moreover, they limited processed foods and added sugars.
My Take — The Secret to Fewer Fractures and a Stronger Heart After 60?
Even modest but consistent changes to your diet in your 60s can make a meaningful difference to your health well into your 70s and 80s.
As the study’s authors point out, the foods you choose today can shape the strength of your bones and the health of your heart in the decades ahead.
The study findings are a powerful reminder that healthcare doesn’t always come in a pill bottle — sometimes, it starts with what we put on our plates.
Because this is an observational study, it’s unclear whether the association is truly causal or is influenced by other related factors, such as physical activity and hypertension, that are more directly connected to the outcome.
