(HealthDay News) — Walking limitation is significantly associated with five-year fracture risk, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in JAMA Network Open.
Dana Bliuc, PhD, from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Darlinghurst, Australia, and colleagues examined the association between a self-reported walking limitation of ≤1,000 m and five-year risk for fracture among 266,912 participants in the 45 and Up Study.
The researchers found that approximately 20% of participants reported a degree of limitation in walking ≤1,000 m at baseline, and during a mean follow-up of 4.1 years, 7,190 women and 4,267 men experienced an incident fracture. Both a little limitation and a lot of limitation were associated with a higher risk for fracture in both men and women compared with participants who reported no walking limitations (a little limitation among women: hazard ratio [HR], 1.32; a little limitation among men: HR, 1.46; a lot of limitation among women: HR, 1.60; a lot of limitation among men: HR, 2.03). Six in 10 fractures were attributable to walking limitations. This association was significant for hip, vertebral and nonhip nonvertebral fracture, with risk ranging from 21% to more than 219%.
“In this study, self-reported walking limitations were common; given that they are easily detected, they should be sought by clinicians to identify high-risk candidates for further bone assessment,” the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
