Heart disease link to hip breaks
Wednesday October 21st, 2009
People who develop heart disease may face an increased risk of suffering from hip fractures, researchers reported last night.
Suffering from heart failure increases the risk of a broken hip by about four times - and suffering a stroke by five times, according to Swedish researchers.
The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last night.
The research involved nearly 34,000 elderly twins.
British experts said the findings suggested some hidden link between heart disease and hip fracture - although part of the explanation may be that people who are ill are more likely to fall and suffer fractures.
Ellen Mason, a nurse specialist with the British Heart Foundation, said: "This large study of twins suggests there is also another link between hip fractures and heart and circulatory disease that is partly down to your genes and lifestyle. However, further research is needed to examine this link.
"Until then, doctors should consider the risk of hip fractures when treating older patients with heart and circulatory disease, especially women, and those who have become less mobile."
The researchers, led by Dr Ulf Sennerby, of Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, write: "Most of the overall increased rate of hip fracture after heart failure - and part of the increased risk after stroke - appears to be explained by genes or by early environmental sharing, i.e. not individual lifestyle habits or other individual-specific environmental factors."
JAMA. 2009;302[15]:1666-1673
Tags: Europe | Geriatric Health | Heart Health | Orthopaedics | UK News
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