Older black women are less likely to sustain a fracture than older white women, at every level of bone density, according to a new report.

Dr. Jane A. Cauley, of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues, analyzed data from 7,334 white and 636 black women, aged between 65 and 94. Researchers followed them for an average of six years.

Fifty-eight black women experienced a total of 61 fractures, compared with 1,606 white women who suffered a total of 1,712 fractures, the team reports. In both racial groups, fracture risk increased as bone mineral density fell, but the association was stronger in white women.

Previous reports showed that black women have a lower fracture risk than whites, but it was unknown if bone mineral density predicted the risk of fracture to the same degree in each group.