The Mediterranean diet and physical activity maintain bone health in older adults
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The Mediterranean diet and physical activity maintain bone health in older adults
A study shows that this lifestyle mitigates bone deterioration in people with metabolic syndrome, especially in women
Following a hypocaloric Mediterranean diet and engaging in regular physical activity mitigates bone health deterioration in older adults with metabolic syndrome, particularly in women. These are the main conclusions of a study published in the scientific journal JAMA Network Open, led by a research team from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), with the participation and support of various institutions such as the Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), the Centre d’Investigació Biomèdica en Xarxa de Fisiopatologia de l’Obesitat i la Nutrició (CIBEROBN), and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.
The study included 924 men and women aged between 55 and 75 years with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome, who were monitored for three years by four research centers in Spain. They were randomly assigned to two groups: the first followed a calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity, while the second followed a Mediterranean diet without calorie restrictions or specific physical activity recommendations. Participants from both groups underwent bone densitometry to evaluate the mineral density of their bones in different areas of the body.
The results showed that women in the first group better preserved bone mineral density in the lumbar spine, along with moderate weight loss after three years of follow-up, compared to the second group. ‘This type of lifestyle intervention based on moderate weight loss through a hypocaloric Mediterranean diet and physical exercise can be a useful strategy to prevent bone health deterioration related to weight loss and aging,’ says Héctor Vázquez-Lorente, a researcher from the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the URV and the first author of the study.
Bone deterioration during aging is one of the main public health issues in society. This study highlights that ‘it is possible to mitigate this process by providing an effective strategy to promote healthier aging, especially in older women,’ says Jordi Salas-Salvadó, professor of Nutrition at the URV and principal investigator of the study.
The loss of bone mineral density is a key factor in the development of osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women, and it increases the risk of fractures, reduces quality of life, and raises morbidity and mortality. ‘The relationship between weight loss and bone health is a constant concern in clinical research. Our results indicate that not all weight-loss strategies negatively impact bone density,’ says Jesús F. García Gavilán, co-author of the study
he research is part of the PREDIMED-Plus project, a pioneering multicenter clinical trial that evaluates the impact of a lifestyle intervention on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and weight loss in older adults
Bibliographic reference: Vázquez-Lorente H et al. Mediterranean Diet, Physical Activity, and Bone Health in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open, 2025. DOI: 10.1007/s11657-022-01140-7.
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