New research from Finland indicates that being happy in life may translate to stronger bones. The work, which included 2, 167 women, found that women aged 60-70 who are satisfied with their lives have a higher bone density and they suffer from osteoporosis less frequently than their unsatisfied peers. The research was completed at the University of Eastern Finland.
Life Satisfaction=Higher Bone Density
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According to the January 13, 2015 news release, the data was obtained from the Kuopio Osteoporosis Risk Factor and Prevention (OSTPRE) Study. Out of the 2, 167 women who underwent bone density measurements in 1999, 1, 147 took part in follow-up measurements ten years later, in 2009. Participants were asked questions relating to the interest in and easiness of life, happiness, and loneliness. This resulted in three groups: the satisfied, the middle group, and the unsatisfied.
“During the 10-year follow-up, the bone density of all study participants weakened by an average of 4%; however, the difference between the satisfied and the unsatisfied was as much as 52%. Changes in life satisfaction during the 10-year follow-up also affected bone density. In persons whose life satisfaction deteriorated, the bone density weakened by 85% in comparison to persons whose life satisfaction improved.”
The study constitutes part of the Ph.D. project of researcher Päivi Rauma, M.Pharm., focusing on the effects of depression, anti-depressants and life satisfaction on bone health.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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