Association between post-stroke disability and 5-year hip-fracture risk: The Women's Health Initiative

Association Between Changes in Smoking Habits and Incident Fracture After Acute Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND

Survivors of stroke, particularly the older population, are at an increased risk of falls and incident fractures. Smoking is a widely recognized risk factor for fractures. However, the association between changes in smoking habits before and after an index stroke and increased risk of fracture remains unelucidated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using the Korean National Health Insurance program, patients with ischemic stroke between 2010 and 2016 were enrolled. Individuals were classified by smoking habits: "never smoker," "former smoker," "smoking quitter," "new smoker," and "sustained smoker." The primary outcome was the composite outcome of the vertebral, hip, and any fractures. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted, using the never-smoker group as the reference. Among 177 787 patients with health screening data within 2 years before and after ischemic stroke, 14 991 (8.43%) patients had any fractures. After multivariable adjustment, the sustained smokers had a significantly increased risk of composite primary outcomes of any, vertebral, and hip fractures (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.222 [95% CI, 1.124-1.329]; aHR, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.13-1.428]; aHR, 1.502 [95% CI, 1.218-1.853], respectively). Additionally, the new smoker group exhibited a similar or higher risk of any fractures and hip fractures (aHR, 1.218 [95% CI, 1.062-1.397]; aHR, 1.772 [95% CI, 1.291-2.431], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Sustained smokers had a significantly increased risk of vertebral and hip fractures after an ischemic stroke. The risk of any hip fractures was higher in new smokers after ischemic stroke. As poststroke fractures are detrimental to the rehabilitation process of patients with stroke, physicians should actively advise patients to stop smoking.

Fracture Risk Among Stroke Survivors According to Poststroke Disability Status and Stroke Type

BACKGROUND

Stroke survivors face physical and cognitive challenges, leading to an increased dependency and a higher fall risk. We aimed to investigate the impact of poststroke disability and stroke type on fracture risk at various sites compared with matched controls.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance System database (2010-2018), including patients with stroke and 1:1 matched controls. Stroke survivors were grouped based on the presence and severity of their poststroke disability and stroke type. The primary outcome was a newly diagnosed fracture, analyzed by Cox proportional hazard regression analyses adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Among 223 358 stroke survivors (mean age, 64.8±10.9 years; 61.2% men), 16 344 fractures occurred during a mean follow-up of 3.7±2.5 years. In matched controls (n=322 161; mean age, 65.4±11.2 years; 61.3% men), 20 398 fractures were identified. Stroke survivors had increased overall fracture risk compared with matched controls (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.40 [95% CI, 1.37-1.43]). Specifically, hip fracture risk was even greater in stroke survivors (incidence rate per 1000 person-years, 4.7 [95% CI, 4.5-4.8]; aHR, 2.42 [95% CI, 2.30-2.55]) than controls (incidence rate, 2.2 [95% CI, 2.1-2.3]). The risk of vertebral fractures (aHR, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.25-1.34]) and other fractures (aHR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.15-1.23]) was also higher than that of the control group. Hip fracture risk was the highest among stroke survivors with severe poststroke disability (aHR, 4.82 [95% CI, 4.28-5.42]), although vertebral or other fracture risk was the highest among those with mild poststroke disability. No significant difference in fracture risk was found between hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke survivors when stratified by disability status.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed increased subsequent fracture risk among stroke survivors, particularly those with poststroke disability and for hip fracture. Bone health assessment and treatment should be emphasized as an essential part of stroke management.

Early surgical treatment of closed reduction and internal fixation for a 30-day old intertrochanteric fracture with hemiplegia after acute stroke: A case report

RATIONALE

Currently, there are no clear guidelines to determine whether and when to perform surgical hip repair in patients with acute stroke and hip fracture.

PATIENT CONCERNS

In this case report, we report a case of 75-year-old woman admitted with left hip pain and limited mobility for 1 month.

DIAGNOSES

Patient had a history of acute cerebral infarction 42 days ago, and diagnosed with a left intertrochanteric fracture at another hospital 30 days ago.

INTERVENTION

Patient was treated with closed reduction and internal fixation with proximal femoral nail anti-rotation.

OUTCOMES

At 2-year follow-up, the patient's basic function was restored. The fracture healed well, and the Harris hip score was 75.

LESSONS

Without consistent guidelines, individualized treatment strategies including surgical methods and timing of surgery should be made to weigh the risks and benefits for patients with acute stroke and intertrochanteric fractures.

Impact of Stroke History on the Risk of Recurrent Hip Fracture or Major Osteoporotic Fractures among Patients with Incident Hip Fracture: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Considerable uncertainty prevails regarding risk factors for recurrent fracture among older patients with hip fracture. We aimed to investigate the relationship between prefracture stroke history, baseline mobility, and the risk of recurrent hip fracture. This cohort study was based on the Danish Multidisciplinary Hip Fracture Registry, 2011-2018 (n = 48,230). We estimated cumulative incidence (competing risk of death) of recurrent hip fracture and major osteoporotic fractures within 1 and 2 years comparing patients with/without prefracture stroke history. Analyses were performed overall and stratified on baseline mobility status (good mobility: Cumulated Ambulation Score ≥ 5 versus poor mobility: Cumulated Ambulation Score < 5). Using Cox regression, adjusted cause-specific hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained. The 1-year cumulative incidence was 4.6% (95% CI: 3.9-5.4) among patients with stroke history and 4.3% (95% CI: 4.1-4.5) among patients without stroke history. For patients with good mobility, the cumulative incidence of recurrent hip fracture was 5.8% (95% CI: 4.3-7.5) versus 3.7% (95% CI: 3.4-4.0) for patients with versus without stroke history. Corresponding numbers for patients with poor mobility were 4.4% (95% CI: 3.6-5.5) and 5.0% (95% CI: 4.7-5.3). Stroke history was associated with an adjusted HR of 1.55 (95% CI: 1.15-2.10) for recurrent fracture among patients with good mobility. In contrast, no association was observed among patients with poor mobility (adjusted HR 0.88 [95% CI: 0.70-1.10]). The associations were attenuated after 2 years of follow-up and for major osteoporotic fractures. In conclusion, stroke history was associated with slightly higher risk of recurrent fracture among patients with first-time hip fracture in the overall analysis, although the CI included a null result. The association was modified by baseline mobility: Patients with stroke history and good mobility had a markedly higher risk, whereas patients with stroke and poor mobility did not. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Comparison of Fractures Among Older Adults Who Are Ambulatory vs Those Who Use Wheelchairs in Sweden

IMPORTANCE

Several diseases and conditions, such as cerebrovascular disease, arthritis, previous fractures, neurological diseases, or amputation, can result in severe immobility justifying wheelchair use for increased mobility. Immobility results in disuse osteoporosis and is considered a risk factor for fracture, although there are no large cohort studies that have investigated fracture risk in patients who use wheelchairs compared with an ambulatory control group.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether immobilized adults who used wheelchairs had a different risk of fracture and injurious falls compared with matched ambulatory controls.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective cohort study compared patients who used wheelchairs and controls (propensity score matched 1:1 using 22 variables relating to anthropometrics, general condition, comorbidity, and fall and fracture risk), identified through a national database of adults 65 years or older who underwent a health evaluation (baseline) at Swedish health care facilities. Patients were followed up from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2017, and data analysis was performed between June 1 and 30, 2022.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Incident fracture, injurious falls without fracture, and deaths.

RESULTS

A total of 55 442 adults using wheelchairs were included in the analysis (mean [SD] age, 83.2 [8.3] years; 60.5% women). Those who used wheelchairs and the 55 442 matched controls were followed up for a median of 2.0 (IQR, 0.5-3.2) and 2.3 (IQR, 0.8-3.6) years, respectively. Patients who used wheelchairs had a lower risk of any fracture (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43 [95% CI, 0.41-0.44]), major osteoporotic fracture (HR, 0.32 [95% CI, 0.31-0.33]), and hip fracture (HR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.28-0.32]) compared with the ambulatory controls, associations that were only marginally affected by multivariable (same as the matching variables) adjustment. The risk of fall injury was lower among those who used wheelchairs than among ambulatory controls (unadjusted HR for Cox proportional hazards models, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.47-0.50]) and remained highly similar after adjustments. Patients who used wheelchairs had a significantly increased risk of death (HR, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.33-1.36]) compared with controls. Association between wheelchair use and fracture outcomes and injurious falls, calculated using a Fine and Gray model with death as a competing risk, was similar to associations obtained using Cox proportional hazards regression for all fracture outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this retrospective cohort study of older adults, wheelchair use was associated with a lower risk of fracture than observed in ambulatory controls. These findings suggest that immobility associated with wheelchair use should not be considered a risk factor for fracture.

Osteoporosis epidemiology using international cohorts

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide an update on the most important new cohort studies within osteoporosis and their bearing on clinical management and directions for future research.

RECENT FINDINGS

We identified a collection of new observational cohort studies - including new reports from already established large cohorts - and intervention studies providing new insights into osteoporosis pathophysiology, risk finding, intervention, and treatment barriers.

SUMMARY

Recent cohort studies in osteoporosis highlight the importance of timely identification and treatment of people who are at high risk of suffering osteoporotic fractures. Physical performance is a strong indicator of fracture risk and one that is tightly linked to a number of chronic conditions, not least inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Advances in case finding may involve opportunistic screening for low bone mineral density and vertebral fractures of radiology images obtained for other purposes, polygenic risk scores, and routinely collected medication and comorbidity information.

Associations between stroke type, stroke severity, and pre-stroke osteoporosis with the risk of post-stroke fracture: A nationwide population-based study

Background Recognizing the post-stroke fracture risk factors is crucial for targeted intervention and primary fracture prevention. We aimed to investigate whether stroke types, stroke severity, and pre-stroke osteoporosis are associated with post-stroke fracture. Methods In a nationwide cohort, we identified previously fracture-free patients who suffered from first-ever stroke, either acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), between 2003 and 2015. Information regarding stroke severity, osteoporosis, comorbidity, and medication information was collected. The outcomes analyzed included hip fracture, spine fracture, and other fractures. Cumulative incidence functions (CIFs) were used to estimate the cumulative incidence of fractures over time after accounting for competing risk of death. Multivariable Fine and Gray models were used to determine the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Of the 41,895 patients with stroke, the 5-year CIFs of any incident fracture, hip fracture, spine fracture, and other fractures were 8.03%, 3.42%, 1.87%, and 3.05%, respectively. The fracture risk did not differ between patients with AIS and ICH. While osteoporosis increased the risk of post-stroke fracture (adjusted HR [95% CI],1.42 [1.22-1.66]), stroke severity was inversely associated with post-stroke fracture (moderate, 0.88 [0.81-0.96] and severe, 0.39 [0.34-0.44], compared with mild stroke severity). Conclusions Stroke survivors had an over 8% fracture risk at 5 years after stroke. Mild stroke severity and osteoporosis were significantly associated with post-stroke fracture risk, whereas stroke type was not. Our results call for effective measures for bone health screening and fracture prevention in patients with stroke.