Warfarin Therapy and Risk of Hip Fracture Among Elderly Patients
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Overview
abstract
Study objective
To ascertain the relationship between warfarin therapy and subsequent hip fracture in a large elderly population.
Design
Retrospective, population-based cohort study.
Setting
Population-based health care administrative databases for Ontario, Canada.
Patients
Elderly patients receiving warfarin (52,701 patients), thyroid replacement therapy (40,555), an oral corticosteroid (43,915), or a proton pump inhibitor (60,383). The proton pump inhibitor group served as controls.
Measurements and main results
The association between warfarin therapy and subsequent hospitalization for hip fracture in elderly patients was examined by researching administrative data from January 1, 1994-March 31, 1999, for the elderly population of Ontario. Relative to patients receiving proton pump inhibitors, patients receiving warfarin (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81-1.09) or thyroid replacement therapy (aRR 1.02, 95% Cl 0.89-1.18) incurred similar risks of hip fracture. As expected, patients receiving oral corticosteroids incurred an increased risk (aRR 1.44, 95% CI 1.21-1.70) relative to patients receiving proton pump inhibitors.
Conclusion
Warfarin was not associated with increased risk of hip fracture.
