A recent study called A meta-analysis of previous falls and subsequent fracture risk in cohort studies found connections between falls reported by individuals themselves and a greater likelihood of experiencing fractures. Additionally, the study revealed a slightly elevated risk of fractures in men compared to women.
This international meta-analysis, which was published in the journal Osteoporosis International, analyzed data from 46 prospective cohorts involving more than 900,000 individuals. The study suggests that prior falls should be considered when evaluating a patient's fracture risk using tools like the FRAX (Fracture Risk Assessment) Tool. Including this information in patients' medical histories can help calculate the likelihood of experiencing a fracture in the next ten years. The FRAX Tool is widely used for predicting fracture risk.
"FRAX was developed using longitudinal data from studies around the world. Although previous falls have long been recognized as a significant risk factor for fractures, until now, they have not been factored into the FRAX algorithm," said Douglas P. Kiel, M.D., MPH, director of the Musculoskeletal Research Center and senior scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, a nonprofit, Harvard Medical School affiliated institution. "In this newly updated FRAX dataset, previous falls were included as a risk factor and were found to increase the risk for fracture. These findings underscore that falls are an important contributor to fracture in both men and women, but interestingly, slightly more in men."
A study revealed that people who had experienced falls in the previous year were at a significantly higher risk of various types of fractures, including clinical fractures, osteoporotic fractures, major osteoporotic fractures, and hip fractures. Additionally, both women and men who had experienced one or more falls in the past were found to have an increased risk of mortality.
The connection between prior falls and the likelihood of fractures was found to differ based on gender, with men showing greater predictive values in comparison to women.
The elevated risk of fractures associated with prior falls is mostly unrelated to bone mineral density, highlighting the individual importance of falls as a risk factor. Experiencing a fall within the last year significantly raises the risk of any clinical fracture, osteoporotic fracture, and hip fracture, with the extent of the increase ranging from 36 per cent to 59 per cent depending on the type of fracture and gender.
Dr. Kiel emphasized the significance of including past falls in the FRAX algorithm. By integrating this data into tools such as FRAX, the accuracy of predicting fracture risk can be improved, enabling healthcare providers to better tailor preventive strategies and enhance patient outcomes.
