CHECKUP : NEWS, TIPS AND TRENDS HIP FRACTURES TIED TO POOR MOTOR SKILLS.

Elderly women with vision impairment and poor motor skills are at increased risk for sustaining a hip fracture from a fall, regardless of whether they have the brittle-bone disease osteoporosis, according to a new study of French women.

In the study of more than 7,500 women ages 75 or older, 154 suffered a hip fracture during a two-year span.

The main factors associated with a fall and subsequent fracture were poor vision and neuromuscular impairment (defined as slow walking speed and the inability to walk in a line with feet in a heel-to-toe position), researchers reported this week in the international medical journal the Lancet.

These factors predicted hip fracture irrespective of whether the woman had low bone-mineral density, which indicates osteoporosis, the study showed.

About 90 percent of hip fractures among the elderly result from a fall, but few studies have looked at factors that influence the risk of falling and sustaining a hip fracture, the researchers noted.

Eat your beans: Consuming enough carbohydrates soon after exercise is important for getting your muscles in shape for your next workout, according to a Texas expert.

The reason is that carbohydrate-rich drinks and foods help speed muscle recovery after exercise, according to David Brennan, an exercise physiologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Muscles absorb carbohydrates very efficiently within the first 30 minutes following exercise, he said. Fluids are also necessary during this time to help the body rehydrate, he noted.

``It is important to begin taking in fluids, including sports beverages that are high in carbohydrates, almost immediately after exercise,'' Brennan said.

``Beans, pasta and breads are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates and perfect for refueling after a workout,'' he added.

Good relations: The bond between a therapist and patient plays an important role in whether a person recovers from depression, regardless of the type of treatment used, a new report shows.

In the study of 225 depressed patients who received various types of psychological counseling - and antidepressants in some cases - patients whose depressed state improved the greatest were those who had the most positive relationship with their therapist.

The relationship between the therapist and patient was rated by trained observers who watched videotapes of the therapy sessions, according to the study.

``The findings provide further testament to the importance of the human connection in medicine,'' said study author Janice Krupnick, of the department of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

``Despite the most sophisticated drug therapies and counseling strategies, the doctor-patient bond remains one of the most significant, if not determining, factor in a person's chances for overcoming depression,'' she said.