Loss of life years after a hip fracture.
BACKGROUND
Patients with a hip fracture have a high mortality; however, it is not clear how large the loss of life-years is over an extended observation period.


METHODS
This was a cohort study involving all patients in Denmark who suffered a hip fracture between 1977 and 2001 (n = 169,145). The survival rate for these patients was compared to that for age- and sex-matched subjects without a hip fracture (n = 524,010).


RESULTS
There was a substantial degree of excess mortality, with a pronounced variation in age and sex. The absolute number of life-years lost compared to age-matched subjects without a hip fracture was larger in younger subjects than in older subjects (men aged 51-60 years lived 7.5 years less on average while men over 80 years of age lived 3 years less). Expressed as a percentage, however, older subjects had the largest relative loss of expected remaining years of life. Men < or = 50 years of age lost 18% of their expected remaining years of life, as opposed to men > 80 years of age who lost as much as 58% of their expected remaining years of life. In women, the trend was similar but less pronounced (27% loss in women < or = 50 years of age vs. 38% in women > 80 years of age).


CONCLUSIONS
A large proportion of the estimated remaining life is lost after a hip fracture, even in younger patients. Prevention may save life years, although not all of the years lost after a hip fracture may be due to the hip fracture per se.
Vestergaard
Peter
P
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. p-vest@post4.tele.dk
Rejnmark
Lars
L
Mosekilde
Leif
L
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate