Changing epidemiology of osteoporotic hip fracture rates in Hong Kong

Abstract

Summary: This study analyses the trend in hip fracture incidence in Southern Chinese in Hong Kong. The results show that the age-adjusted incidence has stabilized in recent years. Among subjects aged 50-59 years, a declining fracture rate is observed. Increasing awareness and a healthier ageing population could partly explain this improvement. Introduction: Studies published in the early 1990s projected that half of the world's hip fractures would occur in Asia, mostly in China, by 2050. Whether this prediction will become a reality is not clear. This study was conducted to determine the incidence (per 100,000 persons) of hip fracture in Southern Chinese subjects ≥50 years in Hong Kong between 1995 and 2004 and compare them with the fracture rates during the previous 30 years in order to help predict the impact on future public health services in Hong Kong. Methods: Data were obtained from the Clinical Data Analysis Reporting System (CDAS) of the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong. Results: The age-specific incidence of hip fracture showed a downward trend in subjects aged 50-59 years in both sexes, but remained stable for other age-groups. Plateauing and declining fracture rates were observed when compared with previous reports of a more than twofold increase in incidence of hip fractures from the 1960s to 1980s in Hong Kong. The exact reasons for this improvement are unclear, but a cohort effect towards healthier ageing and increasing awareness of osteoporosis among the adult population in Hong Kong is considered as a possible factor. © International Osteoporosis Foundation and National Osteoporosis Foundation 2007.