Vitamin B deficiency could lead to increased chance of hip fracture

NEW YORK A study published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism has found that old people with low vitamin B or high homocysteine protein could have increased risk of hip fractures.

The study looked at 1,000 old men and women, finding that those deficient in vitamin B12 were 60 more likely to have hip fractures than those who had normal levels of the nutrient. People with high levels of homocysteine were 50 to 70 percent more likely to have hip fractures. Low vitamin B6 also increased fracture risk.

Homocysteine tends to increase when B vitamins in the body decrease, but the study shows that the high homocysteine and low B vitamins increase hip fracture risk independently of each other.

Vitamin B12 is found mostly in meat. Vitamin B6 is found in fortified cereal, potatoes, chicken, salmon, bananas and spinach.