Making Healthy Choices™

Preventing Hip Fractures

Each year in the United States, some 329,000 people experience a hip fracture. Breaking a hip is serious. It can lead to immobility, isolation, depression, and early mortality. In fact, 1 out of 5 persons who break a hip will die within the first year. Hip fractures are also very costly in medical care and long-term support. This is the bad news. The good news is that you can do something to lower your risk of a hip fracture.

A recent report from the Women’s Health Initiative or Study of Osteoporosis Fractures reveals new insights into the cause for hip fractures and steps you can take through better nutrition and physical activity to lower your risk. The study followed more than 93,000 postmenopausal women for 7.6 years, so it is one of the largest studies ever reported. During the 7.6 years there were 1,132 hip fractures. Here are the most predictive risk factors of increased risk for a hip fracture.

• Increasing age was the strongest predictor. There is not much you can do about having birthdays, but as you get older it is even more important that you eliminate any modifiable risks and take positive steps to insure healthy bones. It’s never too late to start with a bone-healthy lifestyle but the sooner you start, especially in the teen years, the better your chances of preventing a hip or other bone fracture.
• Self-reported health perception. People who rated their health as fair or poor (versus excellent) were 2.38 times more likely to have a hip fracture. Taking good care of your health so you feel good is critical to your future health and well-being.
• Race/ethnicity. Light-colored races and American Indians are at significantly higher risk of a hip fracture than African-American, Asian-American, and Hispanic races.
• Smoking status. Current smokers were 2.3 times more likely to have a hip fracture than nonsmokers. Smoking damages bone health. If you are a smoker, the sooner you stop the better for your bones. Person’s who have stopped smoking for several years had a risk similar to those who never smoked.

Inactivity. Inactive persons had a 64% increased risk of hip fractures. Regular, weight-bearing activity helps the bones maintain good strength. Brisk walking, jogging, jumping rope, and playing active sports all help prevent osteoporosis. Aim for at least 30 minutes of activity daily. A separate 12-year study of hip fractures in men showed similar results. Inactive men had a 62% increased risk of a hip fracture compared to men who participated in regular vigorous physical activity.²

• Lean weight. Being lean is good for heart health, but being too lean can increase your risk for osteoporosis and hip fractures. While it is always prudent to avoid obesity, being of moderate weight (neither too lean nor too fat) is good for healthy bones.
• Family history of fractures. If a parent broke a hip, you have a 50% increased risk.
• Personal history of fractures. If you broke a bone after age 54, your risk of hip fracture is increased by 74%.
• Tall persons had an increased risk of hip fractures.
• Persons taking certain medications (medicine for diabetes or corticosteroids by mouth) were at increased risk for a hip fracture (74-94% increased risk).

Researchers developed a prediction equation for hip fractures based on this research. You can determine your risk of a hip fracture in the next 5 years at http://hipcalculator.fhcrc.org.

Reference: Robbins J, et al. Factors associated with 5-Year risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007;298(20):2389-2398.
Kujala UM, et al. Physical activity and osteoporotic hip fracture in men. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2000;160:705-708.