MedWire News: The risk for hip fracture in postmenopausal women is predominantly predicted by age, with age at menopause having, at most, only a weak additional effect, show study results.

“Our findings show that age is far more important than factors relating to menopause in determining the risk for hip fracture,” say Emily Banks (The Australian National University, Acton) and colleagues.

For the study, the researchers followed-up 561,609 women who had never used hormone replacement therapy and had taken part in the UK Million Women Study during 1996-2001, for an average of 6.2 years per woman.

Among women aged 50-54 years, those who were postmenopausal had a 2.2-fold increased risk for hip fracture compared with premenopausal women.

Despite the widespread belief that early menopause is a long-term risk factor for osteoporosis and fracture, age at menopause had little or no effect on hip fracture risk in postmenopausal women.

Banks and team also found that the risk for hip fracture was 7.0-fold higher in women aged 70-74 years compared with those aged 50-54 years.

Commenting on the study findings, the team concludes: “Clinical decisions around hip fracture prevention should be based on age, and age-related factors, such as frailty, low body mass index, sensory impairment, and comorbidity, rather than on age at menopause.”

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