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. 2012 Nov;8(6):673-84.
doi: 10.2217/whe.12.54.

Geographic differences in fractures among women

Anna Litwic  1 , Mark Edwards, Cyrus Cooper, Elaine Dennison
Affiliations

Geographic differences in fractures among women

Anna Litwic et al. Womens Health (Lond). 2012 Nov.

Abstract

Osteoporotic fracture is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in women throughout the world. However, significant variation in hip fracture rates among women from different nations has been observed and is likely to represent a combination of real and apparent differences due to ascertainment bias. Higher rates are observed in Caucasian women, with lowest rates observed in black women and intermediate rates among Asian women. These differences are likely to represent a combination of genetic and environmental differences; for example, among European women, the highest fracture rates are observed in Scandinavian women where vitamin D insufficiency is common. In all groups, an increase in absolute fracture numbers is anticipated due to demographic changes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hip, clinical vertebral, radiographic vertebral and wrist fracture incidence in women by age, in populations from America [15], England and Wales [6].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Hip fracture rates for women in different countries of the world categorised by risk. Where estimates are available, countries are colour coded red (annual incidence >300/100,000), orange (200–300/100,000) or green (<200/100,000) [37]
Figure 3
Figure 3
Secular trends in hip fracture worldwide: annual change in age- and sex-adjusted hip fracture incidence [38].
Figure 4
Figure 4
The variation in hip fracture incidence in women across Europe in the late twentieth century [65].
Figure 5
Figure 5
The variation in hip fracture incidence, as determined by hospital discharge rate, across England and Wales, in those aged over 45 years by county district [81].
Figure 6
Figure 6
Age-standardized hip fracture rates (per 100,000) in women across Asian countries.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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MeSH terms