Postmenopausal Weight Gain or Loss Is Associated with Risk for Fracture

Weight change can affect fracture risk. In this post hoc analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative, investigators determined the relation between postmenopausal involuntary and voluntary weight gain or loss and incidence of fracture.

Participants were 121,000 postmenopausal women (age range at baseline, 50–79; mean, 63) who were followed for a mean of 11 years. About two thirds of women had stable weight, 15% experienced ≥5% weight loss, and 19% experienced ≥5% weight gain. Analyses were adjusted for 20 potential confounders. Compared with women who had stable weight, women who lost weight had a 9% higher incidence of upper limb fracture, a 30% higher incidence of central body fracture (hip, pelvis, or spine), and a 65% higher inci…