Fracture Risk Higher in Older Diabetic Women

A study has found that older women with diabetes are 80-90% more likely than nondiabetics to have a hip or shoulder fracture. In addition, the study found that women receiving insulin are more than twice as likely to suffer foot fractures. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (USA), was published in the January 2001 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Previously, diabetes was not considered a risk factor for fracture among older women. In the current study, the largest reported to date, researchers analyzed nine-year data on 9,000 women, 65 and older. They found that the elevated fracture risk was not explained by low bone mineral density (BMD). In fact, the study found that the women with diabetes had a higher BMD. The researchers report that other risk factors associated with diabetes and fracture, such as a tendency to fall and reduced sensation in the feet, account for only a small portion of the risk.

"Our study suggests that the quality of bone mass in diabetic subjects might exhibit subtle abnormalities that can lead to an increased risk of fracture,” said Dr. Schwartz., an endocrinologist at the University of California. "Now research is needed into the efficacy of current treatments to improve bone strength among women with diabetes.”



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Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism