Omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women

The risk of hip fractures in postmenopausal women may be reduced through consuming more omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, according to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

“We don’t yet know whether omega-3 supplementation would affect results for bone health or other outcomes,” Tonya Orchard, PhD, RD, LD, from Ohio State University, stated in a press release. “Though it is premature to make a nutrition recommendation based on this work, I do think this study adds a little more strength to current recommendations to include more omega-3s in the diet in the form of fish, and suggests that plant sources of omega-3 may be just as important for preventing hip fractures in women.”

Using blood samples and fracture records from the Women’s Health Initiative, Orchard and colleagues analyzed 324 matched pairs comprising participants who had either broken their hip before Aug. 15, 2008 or had never broken their hip, according to the release. They found α-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid were associated with significantly reduced hip fracture risk, but docosahexaenoic acid was not. Further, the participants who had the highest ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids had nearly double the hip fracture risk than participants with the lowest ratios.

Reference:

Orchard TS. J Bone Miner Res. 2013;doi:10.1002/jbmr.1772.

Disclosure: The study was funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Science. The Women’s Health Initiative was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.