The Hip Bone’s Connected to the Kidney?

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are on dialysis have increased risk for hip fracture. However, the risk for hip and vertebral fractures in women with mild-to-moderate CKD has not been studied. Investigators compared baseline renal function in women who had subsequent hip or vertebral fracture with that of a randomly selected control group without fractures, all within a cohort of about 9700 community-dwelling women 65 years or older. Mean follow-up after baseline was approximately 6 years. Renal function was expressed as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on measurement of serum creatinine.

Decreased eGFR was associated with increased risk for hip fracture. Women with mild (eGFR, 45–59 mL/min per 1.73 m²) or mod…