Does Superior Bone Health Promote a Longer Lifespan?

Public health achievements throughout the last century have resulted in a steady increase in life expectancy. An emergent subset has distinguished themselves, living well beyond the ninth decade by avoiding or delaying the onset of most age-related diseases, including bone diseases and fractures. In this study, we evaluated the bone health of the oldest community-dwelling individuals living in rural Arkansas.

299 patients aged ≥90 years were retrospectively reviewed for recorded fractures within 12 years prior to the investigation period. Records were also examined for medications and test results pertinent to bone health, including thyroid stimulating hormone, vitamin D levels, hematocrit, hemoglobin, body mass index, and bone densitometric values.

68 patients (23%) had at least one fracture documented, and 15 had >1 fracture. 40% of patients with fractures had osteoporosis and 28% had osteopenia, respectively. 232 patients (78%) had no documented fractures, and of these, only 18% had osteoporosis and 16% had osteopenia. No significant clinical markers were found among the very old to explain the relatively low occurrence of fractures.

Patients over 90 years of age had an overall low prevalence of fractures and relative preservation of bone health, suggesting a preserved bone molecular profile in these individuals. Epigenetic factors and activity levels might also have favorably affected bone health. The low percentage of osteoporosis and fractures likely reduced the morbidity and mortality in this population, potentially contributing to their overall longevity.