What Accounts for the Decreasing Incidence of Hip Fracture?

In recent decades, hip fracture incidence has decreased. Researchers used data from the long-running Framingham Heart Study to determine factors associated with the observed lower incidence of hip fractures.

Among nearly 11,000 men and women who were followed from 1970 to 2010, age-adjusted risk for hip fracture decreased significantly during follow-up (decreases of 5.2% per year in men; 4.5% per year in women). Period and birth cohort associations were significant: For example, offspring had lower risk at any given age than did their parents. Lower hip fracture risk coincided with lower prevalences of smoking and heavy drinking (i.e., ≥3 drinks/day). Prevalence of other risk factors, including underweight, obesity, and early menopause, was …