title: Effect of vertebral fractures on function, quality of life and hospitalisation the AGES-Reykjavik study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  understanding the determinants of health burden after a fracture in ageing populations is important.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  assess the effect of clinical vertebral and other osteoporotic fractures on function and the subsequent risk of hospitalisation.
  
  
  METHODS
  individuals from the prospective population-based cohort study Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES)-Reykjavik study were examined between 2002 and 2006 and followed up for 5.4 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  a total of 5,764 individuals, 57.7% women, born 1907-35, mean age 77.
  
  
  METHODS
  four groups with a verified fracture status were used; vertebral fractures, other osteoporotic fractures excluding vertebral, non-osteoporotic fractures and not-fractured were compared and analysed for the effect on mobility, strength, QoL, ADL, co-morbidity and hospitalisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  worst performance on functional tests was in the vertebral fracture group for women (P < 0.0001) and the other osteoporotic fractures group for men (P < 0.05). Both vertebral and other osteoporotic fractures, showed an increased risk of hospitalisation, HR = 1.4 (95% CI: 1.3-1.7) and 1.2 (95% CI: 1.1-1.2) respectively (P < 0.0001). Individuals with vertebral fractures had 50% (P < 0.0001) longer hospitalisation than not-fractured and 33% (P < 0.002) longer than the other osteoporotic fractures group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  individuals with a history of clinical vertebral fracture seem to carry the greatest health burden compared with other fracture groups, emphasising the attention which should be given to those individuals.
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association Research Institute, Kopavogur, Iceland. kristin@hjarta.is
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siggeirsdottir
authors.forename: Thor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aspelund
authors.forename: Brynjolfur Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: Brynjolfur
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mogensen
authors.forename: Lenore J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Launer
authors.forename: Tamara B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sigurdsson
authors.forename: Vilmundur
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gudnason
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors