Grant: Undergraduate: Mobility, musculoskeletal health & arthritis - IA

Osteoporosis is a disease involving bone loss and risk of breaks or fractures. It is particularly common in older women, causing physical and social challenges for those with this chronic condition, and costing our health care system billions of dollars each year. One possible contributing factor to the development of osteoporosis is increased inflammation with aging. Inflammation is linked to the breakdown of bone. One way to treat inflammation is to take over the counter, non-steroid anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen. Research has shown that young women who take ibuprofen after exercise training sessions increase bone mineral density in their hips. Our study will be the first to investigate the effect of taking ibuprofen after regular exercise sessions (done 3 times per week for 9 months) on bone mineral density at the hip in older women (i.e. women aged 65y or greater). It will provide new evidence about possible ways to reduce the sometimes devastating impacts of osteoporosis, and will be useful to health care practitioners.