Risk of osteoporotic fractures as a consequence of haemophilia: A nationwide population-based cohort study

Low bone mineral density occurs more commonly in patients with haemophilia (PWH) than the general population. However, the risk of haemophilia-related osteoporotic fractures has not been well established. We aim to explore the relationship between haemophilia and the development of osteoporotic fractures following haemophilia.

This was a nationwide population-based cohort study based on the data in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (TNHIRD). Patients who were diagnosed with haemophilia were selected. A comparison cohort was formed of patients without haemophilia who were matched according to age and sex. The incidence rate and the hazard ratios (HRs) of new-onset osteoporotic fractures were calculated for both cohorts.

The haemophilia cohort consisted of 75 patients, and the comparison cohort comprised 300 matched control patients without haemophilia. The risk of osteoporotic fractures was higher in the haemophilia cohort than in the comparison cohort (HR = 5.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.42-12.1, P < 0.001). After adjustments for age, sex, comorbidities, urbanizations and socio-economic status, PWH were 4.37 times more likely to develop osteoporotic fractures (95% CI = 1.88-10.17, P = 0.001) as compared to matched cohort. In addition, the incidence of newly diagnosed osteoporotic fractures was significantly increased after 5-year follow-up durations.

Though our study by TNHIRD presented methodologic flaws by its design nature, we observed that haemophilia may increase the risk of osteoporotic fractures and the cumulative incidence was significantly higher for PWH diagnosed more than 5 years. Clinicians should pay particular attention to osteoporotic fractures following haemophilia in PWH as they age.