Bone fracture is associated with incident myocardial infarction in long-term follow-up

Mei-Liang Zheng1, Xiang-Peng Du2, Xin-Chun Yang3,4

  • 1Department of Orthopedics, The Second Central Hospital of Baoding, Zhuozhou, Hebei, China.

BMC Public Health
|May 23, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Bone fractures are linked to a higher risk of heart attacks, particularly in older adults. This study found that individuals with a history of bone fractures had an increased incidence of myocardial infarction, especially those aged 50 and above.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Orthopedics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Basic research suggests a link between bone health and cardiovascular disease, specifically between bone and artery health.
  • Population studies have yielded inconclusive evidence regarding the association between bone fractures and myocardial infarction.
  • This study aims to clarify the relationship between bone fracture history and myocardial infarction incidence in a general population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between a history of bone fracture and the occurrence of myocardial infarction.
  • To examine this association in a large, prospective cohort study with long-term follow-up.
  • To determine if age modifies the relationship between bone fractures and myocardial infarction.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 13,196 adult participants with a history of bone fracture from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) prospective cohort.
  • Data collection spanned from baseline investigations in 1997-2009 with follow-up through 2015.
  • Cox proportional hazards models were employed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for myocardial infarction incidence.

Main Results:

  • A total of 329 incident myocardial infarction cases were identified between 1997 and 2015.
  • Bone fracture history was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction in the overall population (multivariate HR=1.43, P=0.036).
  • The association was significant in individuals aged 50 years and older (HR=1.80, P=0.003) but not in those younger than 50 (HR=0.71, P=0.356).

Conclusions:

  • Bone fracture may be associated with an elevated risk of myocardial infarction.
  • This association appears to be more pronounced in the elderly population.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms connecting bone fractures and cardiovascular events, particularly in older individuals.
Abstract