IDS Director of Patient Care and Education, Alicia Downs
New Study Confirms Higher Fracture Risk for Men and Women with Type 1 Diabetes
A recent meta-analysis reaffirms the link between Type 1 Diabetes and increased risks for fractures in both men and women.
In a recent presentation at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, meta-analysis data of 14 European cohorts comprised of over 78,000 individuals from 19 countries reaffirmed previous meta-analysis studies that have also found a correlation between Type 1 diabetes and increased risks for fractures.
Where past studies found broad correlations between increased overall fracture risks over the age of 60, with 6x higher risks over the lifetime, the 2025 study specified the risks further.
Some valuable takeaways include:
- Fracture risk of higher for BOTH men and women with T1D than the general public – There are no currently available bone density scan recommendations in place for men.
- Past studies have noted higher risks for hip fractures, specifically for women, but when Bone Density testing was included in the data set, risks were the same for women and men. This suggests that fracture risk is independent of bone density test scoring.
- Past studies have indicated higher fracture risks for People with Type 1 diabetes than those with Type 2 diabetes, which indicates that aspects of the disease process beyond simply hyperglycemia are likely involved in the issue of reduced calcium absorption, bone building, or mineral loss from the bone structure. This may include duration of disease state, autoimmune components, additional endocrine imbalance etc.
One reason that we are seeing this increase in fractures is that people with type 1 diabetes are living significantly longer and more active lives thanks to improvements in self-care capabilities.
https://integrateddiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/diabetes-fracture.jpg
What can we do as people with diabetes to reduce our fracture risks?
- Be sure to have routine screenings with your doctor
Lab work to check blood calcium and Vitamin D levels, as well as Bone density scans. Discuss starting scans younger than the general population recommendations, especially for men.
- Talk with your doctor about your risks
Would Calcium or Vitamin D supplementation be right for you?
- Do not neglect resistance and weight-bearing exercise
Resistance and weight-bearing exercises trigger the body to reinforce and strengthen our bones. These exercises are key to building and maintaining bone density over our entire lifetime!
- Avoiding injury starts with balance and flexibility
Don’t neglect your balance and range of motion activities. Stiffness and loss of balance are NOT normal parts of aging. Address these issues with your doctor when they arise and stay engaged in activities that continue to challenge and build your agility and flexibility throughout your lifetime. Yoga, Pilates, wobble boards, dance, tennis, basketball, and even playing with children keeps us moving in dynamic ways that reduce our injury and fall risk over our lifetime!
All the benefits of keeping our bones healthy also have the added benefit of helping us regulate our blood sugar more effectively! Which is another big win for bone health! This symbiotic relationship is a WIN-WIN!
From exercise Physiology to Nutrition and Nursing, at IDS, we don’t just focus on blood sugar management, we see the whole person and all of the areas of our wellness that our blood sugar touches and that touch our blood sugars.
We help our patients reach dynamic wellness goals and not get “diabetes blinders.” If you are having trouble navigating the intricacies of wellness as you age or want help building strong foundations to avoid problems for the future, reach out to set up your consultation with us today.
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One Response
Sorry to complain, but without including clinical data like correlation with age, A1C, previous management history, level if activity and co-morbidities, I find info like this quite suspect in terms of real potential or preventable impact on T1Ds. Kind of like saying “All diabetics get …..”