Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Changing epidemiology of osteoporotic hip fracture rates in Hong Kong

  • Short Scientific Communication
  • Published:
Archives of Osteoporosis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  1. Lofman O, Berglund K, Larsson L et al (2002) Changes in hip fracture epidemiology: Redistribution between ages, genders and fracture types. Osteoporo Int 13:18–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Sambrook P, Cooper C (2006) Osteoporosis. Lancet 367(9527):2010–2018

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. WHO Technical Report Series, 921. Prevention and Management of Osteoporosis. World Health Organization

  4. Cooper C, Campion G, Melton LJ III (1992) Hip fractures in the elderly: A world-wide projection. Osteoporo Int 2:285–289

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lau EMC, Cooper C (1996) The epidemiology of Osteoporosis: The oriental perspective in a world context. Clin Orthopaedics 323:65–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Koh LKH, Saw SM, Lee JJM et al (2001) Hip fracture incidence rates in Singapore 1991–1998. Osteoporo Int 12:311–318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kannus P, Niemi S, Parkkari J et al (2006) Nationwide decline in incidence of hip fracture. J Bone Miner Res 21:1836–1838

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Spector TD, Cooper C, Lewis AF (1990) Trends in admission for hip fracture in England and Wales, 1968–85. BMJ 5:1173–1174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Chang KP, Center JR, Nguyen TV et al (2004) Incidence of hip and other osteoporotic fractures in elderly men and women: Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study. J Bone Miner Res 19:532–536

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Chung THK, Lau TK, Cheung LP (1998) Compliance with hormone replacement therapy in Chinese women in Hong Kong. Maturitas 28:213–219

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Tan D, Darmasetiawan S, Haines CJ et al (2006) Guidelines for hormone replacement therapy of Asian women during the menopausal transition and thereafter. Climacteric 9(2):146–151

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hospital Authority Website <http://www.ha.org.hk>

  13. Paganini-Hill A, Atchisan KA, Gornbein JA et al (2005) Menstrual and reproductive factors and fracture risk: The Leisure World Cohort Study. J Women’s Health (Larchmt) 14:808–819

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ho AYY, Kung AWC (2005) Determinants of peak bone mineral density and bone area in young women. J Bone Miner Metab 23:470–475

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Cooper C, Kuh D, Egger P et al (1996) Childhood growth and age at menarche. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 103:814–817

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Win Lui, WM Chan, Cissy Soong for the assistance in this project. The study is supported by The Hong Kong University Foundation-Bone Health Fund and Matching Fund of the University of Hong Kong.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China

    Annie W. C. Kung & Sarah Yates

  2. Hospital Authority of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Vivian Wong

Authors
  1. Annie W. C. Kung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sarah Yates
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vivian Wong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Annie W. C. Kung.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kung, A.W.C., Yates, S. & Wong, V. Changing epidemiology of osteoporotic hip fracture rates in Hong Kong. Arch Osteoporos 2, 53–58 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-007-0014-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-007-0014-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation