The American journal of medicine
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The worldwide prevalence of hip fracture is increasing as the mean age of the population increases. Despite advances in anesthesia, nursing care, and surgical techniques, however, the outcome of treatment is often poor, and hip fractures remain a significant source of morbidity and mortality for the elderly population. For these patients, operative treatment is considered to be optimal and most cost-effective for displaced intracapsular fractures and all extracapsular fractures. ⋯ To maximize rehabilitation potential, a multidisciplinary approach using skilled medical, nursing, and paramedical care appears to be optimal. Prospective case-controlled studies are required to demonstrate the long-term effectiveness of specialist rehabilitation units. In today's cost-cutting environment, caution must be taken to prevent short-term cost-saving measures from compromising long-term outcome for elderly hip fracture patients.
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Approximately 40 in 100 women will experience one or more fractures after the age of 50 years. At 50 years for women the lifetime risk is 17.5% for hip fracture, 16% for vertebral fracture, and 16% for Colles' fracture; for men, the respective lifetime risks are 6%, 5%, and 2.5%. The incidence of hip fractures has increased in recent years in most but not all European countries, partly as a result of the aging of the population. ⋯ Determining the causes of the large geographic differences in hip fracture incidence and the large differences in sex ratios for hip fractures in European countries could lead to identification of hitherto unknown risk factors and provide clues for prevention of fractures. Many risk factors cannot be prevented or modified; however, these risk factors (for example, family history, past fracture, and visual loss) can identify risk groups amenable to drug treatment or to preventive measures such as protective hip pads or environmental changes. Assessment of risk factors and definition of risk profiles are important steps toward the prevention of fractures in the elderly.
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Hip fractures are a burden to both the individual and the community. Only 50% of patients regain the mobility and independence they enjoyed 12 months before the hip fracture occurred. Direct costs are high: about US$7,000 for the immediate hospital care and $21,000 in total costs for the first year. ⋯ Health economic models allow for changes in assumptions, such as extent of compliance, effectiveness of therapy, and risk of side effects. Cost-effectiveness varies according to treatment and is highly sensitive to the estimated efficacy of treatment, patient compliance, age of the patient at the start of treatment, and fracture risk assigned to the patient. Greater cost-effectiveness occurs when treatments are more efficacious and when they are directed at patients with the highest risk of fracture.
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Around 40% of white women and 13% of white men in the United States have at least one fragility fracture after the age of 50 years. The risk of fracture increases with advancing age and progressive loss of bone mass, and varies with the population being considered. The age-adjusted incidence of fragility fractures in both sexes is 25% lower in Britain and many areas of Europe than in the United States. ⋯ After a clinically diagnosed vertebral fracture, survival rate decreases gradually from that expected without fracture. Women with severe vertebral deformities have a consistently higher risk of back pain and height loss. An accurate assessment of the risk of fractures associated with osteoporosis and of their impact on quality of life is essential if appropriate and cost-effective interventions are to be designed for different populations.
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Although over the past 2 decades great strides have been made in increasing the awareness, detection, and treatment of hypertension (HTN), actual control of blood pressure is far from optimal. We hypothesized that current cigarette smoking, by acting as a marker for poor health related behavioral patterns, would be significantly associated with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP). ⋯ In disadvantaged African-American patients who report good medication compliance, former smoking status is strongly associated with HTN control. Physicians may need to be especially vigilant of BP control in patients who smoke.