title: Hip fractures in Italy: 2000-2005 extension study.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  A total of 507,671 people > or =65 experienced hip fractures between 2000 and 2005. In 2005, 94,471 people > or =65 were hospitalized due to hip fractures, corresponding to a 28.5% increase over 6 years. Most fractures occurred in patients > or =75 (82.9%; n = 420,890; +16% across 6 years), particularly in women (78.2%; n = 396,967).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  We aimed to analyze incidence and costs of hip fractures in Italy over the last 6 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the national hospitalization and DRG databases concerning fractures occurred in people > or =65 between 2000 and 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 507,671 people > or =65 experienced hip fractures across 6 years, resulting in about 120,000 deaths. In year 2005 94,471 people aged > or =65 were hospitalized due to hip fractures, corresponding to a 28.5% increase over 6 years. The majority of hip fractures occurred in patients > or =75 (82.9%; n = 420,890; +16% across 6 years) and particularly in women (78.2%; n = 396,967). Among women, 84.2% of fractures (n = 334,223; +28.0% over 6 years) were experienced by patients > or =75, which is known to be the age group with the highest prevalence of osteoporosis, accounting for 68.6% of the overall observed increase in the total number of fractures. Hip fractures in men > or =75 increased by 33.1% (up to 16,540). Hospitalization costs increased across the six examined years (+36.1%) reaching 467 million euros in 2005, while rehabilitation costs rose up to 531 million in the same year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hip fractures of the elderly are increasing and represent a major health problem in industrialized countries such as Italy.
authors.affiliation: University of Florence, Florence, Italy. prisco.piscitelli@tiscali.it
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authors.lastname: Piscitelli
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authors.lastname: Gimigliano
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authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.forename: A
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authors.lastname: Marinelli
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authors.lastname: Gimigliano
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authors.lastname: Marinelli
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authors.lastname: Chitano
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authors.lastname: Greco
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authors.lastname: Di Paola
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authors.lastname: Sbenaglia
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authors.lastname: Benvenuto
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authors.lastname: Muratore
authors.forename: E
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authors.lastname: Quarta
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authors.lastname: Calcagnile
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authors.lastname: Colì
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authors.lastname: Borgia
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authors.lastname: Forcina
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authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fitto
authors.forename: A
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authors.lastname: Giordano
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authors.lastname: Distante
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authors.lastname: Rossini
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authors.lastname: Angeli
authors.forename: A
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authors.lastname: Migliore
authors.forename: G
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authors.lastname: Guglielmi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brandi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gimigliano
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authors.lastname: Iolascon
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017678:Sex Distribution