Be happy for better bones

Elderly women who are satisfied with their lives have a higher bone density and suffer from osteoporosis less frequently than their unsatisfied peers, says a new study.

Bone density gets lower as people age; however, for women, the menopause constitutes a significant risk factor. Other risk factors of osteoporosis include low levels of physical activity, light body composition, smoking, low intake of calcium and vitamin D, as well as some drugs and medical conditions.

For instance, long-term stress associated with depression can have detrimental effects on metabolism and, in consequence, on bone health.

Subjective well-being is an extensive indicator of mental health and depression in particular, and in the new study, life satisfaction was used to measure subjective well-being.

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland wanted to find out whether life satisfaction is associated with bone health. The data was obtained from the Kuopio Osteoporosis Risk Factor and Prevention (OSTPRE) Study. During the 10-year follow-up, the bone density of all study participants weakened by an average of 4 per cent; however, the difference between the satisfied and the unsatisfied was as much as 52 per cent.

Changes in life satisfaction during the 10-year follow-up also affected bone density. In persons whose life satisfaction deteriorated, the bone density weakened by 85 per cent in comparison to persons whose life satisfaction improved. The findings were published in Psychosomatic Medicine.  — PTI