Increased risk of stroke among hip fracture patients: a nationwide cohort study

Our study indicates that hip fracture is independently associated with increased risk of developing stroke. In addition, the risk of stroke following the incidence of hip fracture is more prominent in younger patients, men, those with cardiovascular comorbidities, and in patients using specific medication, such as diuretics and ABRs.

Hip fractures are associated with increased risk of major morbidity. However, few data are available on the risk of stroke after hip fracture. Therefore, we investigated whether hip fracture increases the risk of stroke in a large nationwide cohort study.

Using universal insurance claims data, we identified a study cohort comprising of 6013 newly diagnosed with hip fracture patients from 2000 to 2010 and a non-hip fracture cohort of 23,802 participants. Incidence and risk of stroke were estimated for both cohorts until the end of 2011.

Stroke incidence was 1.69-fold (95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.56–1.83) higher in the hip fracture cohort than in the comparison cohort with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.54 (95 % CI = 1.42–1.67) for the hip fracture cohort. The hip fracture patients were at higher risk of developing ischemic stroke (HR = 1.55, 95 % CI = 1.42–1.69) and hemorrhagic stroke (HR = 1.55, 95 % CI = 1.16–1.89), respectively. At an incidence of 64.6 per 1000 person-years, the adjusted HR of stroke increases to 3.10 (95 % CI = 2.47–3.90) for patients with coexisting diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure compared with those without these three conditions. At an incidence of 60.4 per 1000 person-years, the adjusted HR of stroke increases to 2.92 (95 % CI = 2.43–3.51) for hip fracture patients prescribed with diuretics and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) compared with those without hip fracture or prescriptions for diuretics or ARBs.

Hip fracture is independently associated with a subsequent risk of stroke.