Global patterns in hip fractures: trends in occurrence, treatment, and survival - Amgen

What was the health issue?

Hip fractures relating to weak and brittle bones are a global public health concern, with over 10 million cases per year globally. This is placing an ever-greater burden on patients, their families and healthcare systems across the world. Research had showed that the incidence rate of hip fractures in some regions is increasing and in others is decreasing. However, before this study, it was unclear whether this finding was a result of genuine differences in hip fracture rates, or due to differences between data collection approaches in different health systems.  

What were the researchers trying to find out?

Researchers at Amgen, working in collaboration with academics at universities around the world, wanted to understand how hip fractures affect people in different countries. This included understanding if the number of hip fractures was changing over time, variation in the treatments given to patients, and the mortality rate within one year following a hip fracture. 

Why did the research require the use of health data?

To be able to compare these factors across different countries, the study required large volumes of patient data from multiple databases across the world. Each database had to be representative of the country’s population to make sure the analysis was accurate and generalisable for the country as a whole. Carrying out a study on this scale could only be done by comparing large national databases of anonymised patient records. 

How was the research done?

This study used 20 international health databases from 19 countries. This included the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) in the UK, which holds anonymised GP data from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The data was used to provide a detailed analysis of hip fracture trends for patients aged 50 and over across the world. This analysis included differences between countries, estimates of future hip fractures and variations in post-fracture care and outcomes. 

What did the research find?

The research found that hip fractures happen regularly across the world but are more common in some countries. For example, Brazil had the lowest rate, while Denmark had the highest. The results also showed higher rates of hip fractures in women, and that men were less likely to receive treatment that would reduce the risk of fractures happening again. Hip fracture rates were declining in almost all countries, including the UK.

Why do the results matter?

The results of this study will contribute to the development of improved prevention and management strategies to address the growing health burden and cost of treating hip fractures, including in the UK, leading to better health for patients.

The inclusion of data from 19 countries ensured that the study’s results covered patients from most regions of the world. As a result, the findings are beneficial for a wider number of healthcare providers and identify clear areas for improvement for different health systems in the care of hip fractures.

Further information

This case study has been adapted from a clinical study titled: Global epidemiology of hip fractures: secular trends in incidence rate, post-fracture treatment, and all-cause mortality. 

Glossary

Anonymised data: data where personal information has been removed so that individuals cannot be identified. This process ensures privacy and confidentiality, making it safe to use the data for research or analysis without revealing who the data belongs to.