An Irish consultant geriatrician has said an increased intake of dairy by older people could see a material drop in the number of fractures suffered by older people.
In a statement issued by the National Dairy Council to mark International Day of Older Persons, Prof Frances Dockery, consultant physician and geriatrician at Beaumont Hospital, and joint clinical lead for the Irish Fracture Liaison Services database, said it is estimated that 30 per cent of patients with hip fracture die within a year of their injury.
Yet a two-year study conducted in Australia, where 7,000 people in 30 care homes were given an increased intake of dairy, found the change was associated with a 46 per cent reduced risk for hip fractures, 33 per cent for all fractures and 11 per cent for falls.
“In the Irish context, if the same scientific model was applied, this could equate to significant savings relating to the economic burden of fractures, not to mention the impact on quality of life for older people through avoidance of a painful, debilitating fracture,” Prof Dockery said.
“Interestingly, the cost of intervention in this research study was just 70 cent per resident, per day. It is therefore a cost- effective intervention with significant benefits which could be easily adopted across residential settings in Ireland.”
It is estimated that more than 300,000 Irish people suffer from osteoporosis, with an estimated 30,000 fractures a year.
The Australian study involved the residents being given 3.5 servings of dairy per day, and the authors of the study attributed the findings of reduced fractures and falls to the additional calcium and high-quality protein found in dairy foods.
“What the study shows is that when older adults almost double their intake of dairy products, they maintain weight, bone density and nutritional status,” according to Dr Sandra Iuliano, a senior research fellow in the department of medicine in Melbourne University, who led the study.
“What we’ve done is slow the decline of bone and muscle by changing the diet of older adults, despite the fact that they’re losing muscle naturally because they’re old.”
The Department of Health in Ireland released new dietary guidelines in June advising older people to consume three to four servings from the “milk, yoghurt and cheese” food group each day, which mirrors the amount of dairy consumed in the Australian study. Previous Irish research shows that only 3.5 per cent of those over 60 years had a daily dairy intake of three or more servings of dairy per day.
