Atrial fibrillation and risk of hip fracture: A population-based analysis of 113,600 individuals

Background A number of cardiovascular diseases have been linked with bone health and an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. Whether atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with subsequent fracture risk is not known. Methods Administrative, clinical and hospitalisation information were linked over a 14-year period. From this longitudinal, population-based dataset of 113,600 individuals, time-dependent exposures using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to determine incidence rates and hazard ratios (HR) for hip fracture according to a history of AF. Results The annualised incidence rate for hip fracture was 7.4 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 7.1–7.7) in those without AF and 17.5 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 16.8–18.1) in those with AF. Compared to individuals without AF, those with AF were more likely to develop incident hip fracture in both men (unadjusted HR 2.39 [95% CI 1.96–2.91]) and women (unadjusted HR 2.91 [95% CI 2.55–3.34]). After adjusting for potential confounders, these associations were attenuated but remained statistically significant (adjusted HR 1.97 [95% CI 1.61–2.42] in men; adjusted HR 2.08 [95% CI 1.80–2.39] in women). Conclusions A history of AF was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in this large, population-based analysis. This association appeared to remain significant even after adjusting for potential confounders such as age, comorbidities and medication use. Patients with a history of AF may represent a clinical population in whom screening for and treatment of osteoporosis may be warranted to reduce the risk of subsequent fracture.