The number of seniors injuring themselves while walking dogs is skyrocketing, University of Pennsylvania researchers say.

According to a new study in the surgery edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, bone fractures from such incidents more than doubled during a 13-year period.

>> Read more trending news

In 2004, about 1,700 people 65 or older visited emergency rooms with fractures after falling while walking a dog, the study said.

In 2017, that number was almost 4,400. Women need to be especially careful because they are at higher risk for bone disease, the study said.

Walking a dog can still be a great source of exercise, but experts say older dog owners should take special care to train their best friends or choose smaller breeds.

Read more here.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Winfred Rembert's acclaimed memoir, "Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist's Memoir of the Jim Crow South" received the Pulitzer Prize for biography a year after he died.
Courtesy of Bloomsbury

Credit: Courtesy of Bloomsbury

Featured

State Rep. Matt Reeves, R-Duluth, introduces himself while attending an AAPI mental health event at Norcross High School on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Gray