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Hospitalization with vertebral fracture among the aged: a national population-based study, 1986-1989
S J Jacobsen1, C Cooper, M S Gottlieb
1Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.
Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
|November 1, 1992
Summary
Osteoporosis-related vertebral fractures are a growing concern. White women have the highest discharge rates, increasing significantly with age, suggesting potential incidence differences across demographics.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Gerontology
Background:
- Osteoporosis-related fractures are a significant public health issue.
- Epidemiologic studies on vertebral fractures are less common compared to other fracture types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and demographic patterns of vertebral fractures.
- To analyze discharge rates for vertebral fractures across different age, race, and sex groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Health Care Financing Administration.
- Analyzed 151,986 discharge records with a vertebral fracture diagnosis over a 4-year period.
- Adjusted discharge rates for age, race, and sex.
Main Results:
- White women exhibited the highest discharge rates (17.1 per 10,000 annually), followed by white men (9.9), black women (3.7), and black men (2.5).
- Among white women, discharge rates increased exponentially with age, from 5.3 per 10,000 at age 65 to 47.8 per 10,000 at age 90.
- Age-related increases were less pronounced in white men, black women, and black men.
Conclusions:
- Vertebral fracture discharge rates show significant disparities based on race and sex.
- The age-related patterns observed in vertebral fractures resemble those of hip fractures.
- These findings suggest that race and sex differences in vertebral fracture discharge rates may reflect underlying differences in fracture incidence.