Hip Fracture Risk Greater with Cardiovascular Disease

In that recent studies indicate common etiologies for cardiovascular disease and osteoporotic fractures, Ulf Sennerby, from Uppsala University (Sweden), and colleagues utilized data from the Swedish Twin Registry to ascertain whether the risk for hip fracture is increased with cardiovascular disease, and to look for evidence of a genetic connection.   The researchers analyzed 15,968 twin pairs who were 50 years old at study entry and were followed until the date of a hip fracture, death, or study conclusion in December 2005. With hip fracture diagnosed in 1,442 patients (70% of whom were women) during the course of the study, data analysis found that heart failure was the strongest cardiovascular correlate, followed by overall stroke, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, peripheral atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, and hypertension.  The investigators also calculated 10-year absolute risks for hip fracture according to age and sex, and found that a 75-year-old woman had an 18% risk for fracture within 10 years after a diagnosis of heart failure, while the risk for a man of that age was 10%.  Concluding that: “A diagnosis of [cardiovascular disease] was significantly associated with risk of subsequent hip fracture,” the team speculates potential  contributing factors may include telomere lengths and genes associated with matrix proteins supporting bone, blood vessel walls, and the myocardium; as well as perhaps hormones, proteins involved in lipid metabolism, and chronic inflammation.