New Article Finds More Than 14 Million People Suffer a Hip Fracture Each Year
A review published in JAMA reports that 42% to 71% of patients regain their prefracture level of basic activities of daily living within six months.
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Senior Scientist/Director
Hip fractures are common among older people and are associated with a one-year mortality rate of 22% and reduced mobility and quality of life, according to a review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
More than 14.2 million people worldwide and 280,000 in the United States experience a hip fracture each year, according to the article, Hip Fractures: A Review.
The July 16 article found that approximately 42% to 71% of patients regain their prefracture level of basic activities of daily living within six months, said coauthor Douglas P. Kiel, MD, MPH, senior scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, and professor of medicine at the Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston.
The other authors are Fjola Johannesdottir, PhD, principal investigator at the Center for Advanced Orthopaedic Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and assistant professor in Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Boston; Jimmie E. Roberts, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; and Joy N. Tsai, MD, clinical director of Mass General Brigham Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
The article summarizes all aspects of hip fractures, from epidemiology to prevention and treatment, including secondary prevention. Given the complexity of managing acute fractures, many hospitals implement an “orthogeriatrics” service to minimize complications and reduce the length of hospital stay before the important rehabilitation process begins after surgery.
Hip fracture treatment includes physical therapy, fall reduction strategies, and medications to protect against fractures, such as bisphosphonates, denosumab, or anabolic drugs (e.g., parathyroid hormone analogs or romosozumab).
This episode of the JAMA Clinical Reviews podcast, “Hip Fractures: Management and Prevention,” features a conversation between JAMA Deputy Editor Mary M. McDermott, MD, and article coauthor Dr. Douglas Kiel.
About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife is a national leader working to create a world where aging is defined by possibility, not limitation. We care for more than 4,500 older adults each day across seven campuses throughout Greater Boston, and offer support for families in the aging journey. Our services include in-home care, outpatient therapies, an outpatient memory clinic, short- and long-term inpatient care, hospice, independent and assisted living, and affordable housing with services. We conduct influential research on aging at our Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a grant portfolio of $87 million, and train future health care workers at the Lunder CareForce Institute. Hebrew SeniorLife is a Harvard Medical School affiliate. Follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
