Neurological or movement problems may make elderly diabetics more prone to bone fractures, researchers say. Study findings say that individuals in the 70s with type 2 diabetes have a more than 60% higher chance of suffering fractures than their non-diabetic peers.

Diabetics typically have a higher bone density than non-diabetics yet seem to have a higher risk of fractures, according to a recent report in the Archives of Internal Medicine. This dispels the notion that only older, thin diabetics are at risk, said a lead researcher from the University of Pittsburgh.

Wearing shoes with rubber soles and walking in steady, well-lit areas can help residents with diabetes avoid falls, the researcher said. She also encouraged avoiding medications that could increase the risk of falling.