The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / U.S. Hip Fracture Incidence Declines with Reductions in Smoking & Drinking

U.S. Hip Fracture Incidence Declines with Reductions in Smoking & Drinking

August 4, 2020 • By Lisa Rapaport

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

(Reuters Health)—Age-adjusted hip fracture incidence has declined in the U.S. over the past four decades, aided by a decline in smoking and alcohol consumption, a new study suggests.

You Might Also Like
  • After Hip Fracture, Earlier Osteoporosis Drug Initiation Tied to Lower Subsequent Fracture Risk
  • Mediterranean Diet Tied to Lower Hip Fracture Risk
  • Bisphosphonate Drug Holiday & Hip Fracture Risk

Researchers examined data on 4,918 men and 5,634 women who participated in the prospective Framingham Heart Study from 1970 to 2010. Overall, the age-adjusted incidence of hip fractures declined by 4.4% per year during the study period, and the annual decrease was significant for both men (5.2%) and women (4.5%).

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Although some risk factors for hip fractures were little changed, two prominent risk factors—smoking and drinking alcohol—became much less prevalent over time. Smoking prevalence decreased from a peak of 38% from 1971 to 1975 to 15% in the final five-year period of the study. Heavy drinking prevalence declined from 7.0% to 4.5% during the study.

“We knew that, accounting for the aging population, the incidence of hip fractures is going down in the U.S. and in other developed countries, but we really didn’t know why,” says senior study author Timothy Bhattacharyya, MD, of the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Md.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

“Our study concludes that people cutting down on smoking and heavy drinking was a major contributor to the decline,” Dr. Bhattacharyya says by email.

Heavy drinking was closely associated with smoking, researchers report in JAMA Internal Medicine. More than half of the total person-years for heavy drinking (50.9%) were also smoking person-years.1

When researchers limited their analysis only to people who were not heavy drinkers, age-adjusted hip fracture incidence decreased by 4.8%.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

But when researchers calculated hip fracture incidence over time only for smokers, the decrease they found (1.7%) wasn’t statistically significant.

Researchers also looked separately at the impact of bisphosphonates on hip fracture incidence. They calculated that in a best-case scenario, an 8.5% rate of bisphosphonate use starting in 1995 might have potentially cut hip fracture incidence by 4.8% in total, far less than the total decrease observed in the study of 67%.

Although these medicines are still beneficial, the study authors conclude that smoking cessation—and not bisphosphonates—has been the biggest driver of declining hip fracture incidence.

One limitation of the study is that Framingham Heart Study participants aren’t representative of the U.S. population as a whole, with a mostly white population and lower obesity rates than the country as a whole, Dr. Bhattacharyya says.

Even so, the results underscore that hip fractures can be prevented, along with the disability and mortality that often accompanies these injuries, says Elizabeth Regan, MD, PhD, of National Jewish Health, Denver, and the Colorado School of Public Health.

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions Tagged With: Alcohol, fracture risk, Fractures, hip fracture, Smoking

You Might Also Like:
  • After Hip Fracture, Earlier Osteoporosis Drug Initiation Tied to Lower Subsequent Fracture Risk
  • Mediterranean Diet Tied to Lower Hip Fracture Risk
  • Bisphosphonate Drug Holiday & Hip Fracture Risk
  • Alendronate Decreases Hip Fracture Risk in Older Patients Using Oral Prednisolone

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.