Bike riders have higher risk of genital and kidney injuries: research

April 7, 2014  16:29

Biking has plenty of benefiths for health, but riders also have the risk of an injury to genitalia and the kidney. According to a new study, kids sustain about 10 times as many of these injuries as adults, reports Fox News.

Cyclists are often correctly encouraged to wear a helmet, but the study shows head injuries aren't the only ones they should be concerned about, researchers write in the journal Injury Prevention.

The researchers from the University of California, San Francisco analyzed data that had been collected by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System between 2002 and 2012.

An average of about 4,000 people sustained bicycle-related kidney or genital injuries during each year of the study, the authors found. They also discovered that children came to the ER for bicycle-related kidney or genital injuries about 10 times more often than adults.

About 70 percent resulted from direct contact with the bike - as opposed to hitting the ground - and nearly half of the overall injuries were due to contact with the top tube, which runs between the base of the seat and the handlebars. Males were more likely than females to be injured by the bike's handlebars.

"Riding your bike safely is the most important thing. Wear a helmet, follow the rules of the road, and be alert and be visible," said co-author Dr. Benjamin Breyer, a urologist at the University of California, San Francisco.

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