(February 3, 2009 - Insidermedicine) Older adults who experience a fracture due to frail bones face an increased risk of death for up to a decade thereafter, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Here are some ways you can keep your bones strong as you age:

•    Do regular weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercises.

•    Make sure you take in adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

•    Maintain a healthy diet and avoid excess alcohol.

Researchers from St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney prospectively followed over 4,000 men and women aged 60 and over who experienced a fracture between April 1989 and May 2007.

Overall, 952 women and 343 men experienced an osteoporotic fracture. Of these, 461 of the women and 197 of the men died during the study period. After adjusting for age, having a fracture at the hip or vertebrae, as well as having either a major or minor fracture were all associated with an increased risk of dying. This increased risk persisted for five years for all fractures and 10 years for hip fractures. Having another fracture was associated with two to three times the risk of death, and this increased risk persisted, at a lower level, for more than five years.

We had a chance to speak with Dr. Jacqueline Center, the corresponding author on this study, who offered some further insight.

The authors suggest that this increased risk might be the case either because of the fracture itself, or because the fracture is simply a sign that the body is weakening.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.