Hip fracture is a major public health problem, associated with high morbidity and mortality, and high costs to the healthcare system. With the aging of populations worldwide, the socioeconomic burden of hip fracture is set to rise dramatically.
A new Australian study published in Archives of Osteoporosis, looks at the 12-month mortality of older persons presenting to hospitals in Australia with hip fracture. It is the first large population-based matched cohort study exploring excess mortality risk from hip fracture in the Australian population while accounting for pre-injury comorbid conditions.
The researchers linked hospital and mortality data from four Australian states. 9748 Individuals aged 65 years and older who had a hospital admission with a primary diagnosis of hip fracture in 2009 were matched 1:1 on age, sex, and postcode of residence with a cohort of non-injured individuals selected from the electoral roll. Adjusted mortality rate ratios and attributable risk percent were calculated, and Cox proportional hazard regression was used to examine the effect of risk factors on survival.
The researchers found that hip fracture sufferers experienced significantly worse survival at 12-months post-fracture:
Dr Reidar P. Lystad from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University and co-author of the study, stated:
"With an aging population in Australia, the burden of hip fractures is expected to increase in the coming decades. Our findings suggest that, with the hip fracture trauma itself a main predictor of excess mortality, efforts may best be directed at primary and secondary prevention of the fracture itself."
Story Source:
Materials provided by International Osteoporosis Foundation. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Cite This Page: