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Postmenopausal women older than 50 carry a five times higher risk of death than their peers 1-year post-hip fracture
A new meta-analysis of nearly 600,000 cases reveals that higher risks subside over time, but some added risk remains even after 15 years.
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FLORENCE — A meta-analysis of 574,000 postmenopausal women who suffered a hip fracture shows they have a higher risk of death than their peers, particularly in the first year postop, according to a study presented here.
While it is understood that an excess mortality rate exists for postmenopausal women older than 50 years just after a hip fracture, "The question is: 'Does the excess mortality of the first few months persist?'" said Patrick Haentjens, MD, PhD, of Belgium.
He and his co-authors found that postmenopausal women at least 50 years old who suffered a hip fracture were 5.01 times more likely to die within the first year post-fracture compared with postmenopausal women of similar age but without hip fracture.
In addition, women who suffered a hip fracture were 3.92 times more likely to die in the second year, 2.71 times more likely during the third year and 2.02 times more likely during the fourth year, said Haentjens, who presented the study results at the 8th European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology Congress.
Even 15 years after fracture, these women remained 1.36 times more likely to die than their matched cohort, he noted.
In the study, Haentjens' group performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the 23 relevant controlled studies in English, German and French to estimate the pooled relative risk of death following hip fracture. The investigators compared the hip-fracture group with an age- and sex-matched group, he said.
In the discussion following his presentation, Haentjens acknowledged that — based on a question from the audience — women older than 50 years who suffer a hip fracture may generally be less healthy than many of their postmenopausal peers, particularly those at the younger end of the spectrum.
For more information:
- Haentjens P, Vanderschueren D, Venken K, Boonen S. Magnitude and duration of excess mortality following hip fracture among postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis. #F850. Presented at the 8th European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology Congress. May 11-15, 2007. Florence.