Hans Mallmin

Free Testosterone is an Independent Predictor of BMD and Prevalent Fractures in Elderly Men: MrOS Sweden

The role of androgens for bone health in elderly men is unclear. We show that free testosterone within the normal range is a predictor of BMD at predominantly cortical bone sites and of previous osteoporosis‐related fractures in elderly Swedish men.

Fracture of the distal forearm as a forecaster of subsequent hip fracture: a population-based cohort study with 24 years of follow-up.

SummaryObjective: To determine the long-term risk of hip fracture following fracture of the distal forearm. Design: Registry-based cohort study comparing patients with a fracture of the distal forearm with a population-based cohort. Fracture cohort: All women and men above 40 years of age with a radiologically verified fracture of the distal forearm during a 5-year period. 1968–1972, in all 1,126 women and 212 men. Control cohort: An equal number of population-based, age-and sex-matched control persons selected from a population register. Measurements: All cohort members were followed up individually through record linkage until the first hip fracture, emigration, death, or the end of 1991. The cohort members contributed a total of 40,832 person-years of observation, and altogether 365 cases of hip fractures were observed. Results: Both women and men with a fracture of the distal forearm ran an increased risk of sustaining a subsequent hip fracture. The overall relative hazard for the women was 1.54 and for men 2.27. The increased risk in the women was independent of age at inclusion, but that in the men was more pronounced in the younger age groups. Conclusions: Patients with a fracture of the distal forearm run an increased risk of sustaining a subsequent hip fracture. They therefore appear to constitute a group in which appropriate prophylactic measures against osteoporosis and fractures should be considered.

Older Men with Low Serum Estradiol and High Serum SHBG Have an Increased Risk of Fractures

Osteoporosis‐related fractures constitute a major health concern not only in women but also in men. To study the predictive role of serum sex steroids for fracture risk in men, serum sex steroids were analyzed by the specific gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry technique at baseline in older men (n = 2639; mean, 75 yr of age) of the prospective population‐based MrOS Sweden cohort. Fractures occurring after baseline were validated (average follow‐up of 3.3 yr). The incidence for having at least one validated fracture after baseline was 20.9/1000 person‐years. Estradiol (E2; hazard ratio [HR] per SD decrease, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.22–1.49), free estradiol (fE2; HR per SD decrease, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.28–1.55), testosterone (T; HR per SD decrease, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.16–1.39), and free testosterone (fT; HR per SD decrease, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.21–1.44) were all inversely, whereas sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG; HR per SD increase, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.22–1.63) was directly related to fracture risk. Multivariable proportional hazards regression models, adjusted for age, suggested that fE2 and SHBG (p < 0.001), but not fT, were independently associated with fracture risk. Further subanalyses of fracture type showed that fE2 was inversely associated with clinical vertebral fractures (HR per SD decrease, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.36–1.80), nonvertebral osteoporosis fractures (HR per SD decrease, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.23–1.65), and hip fractures (HR per SD decrease, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.18–1.76). The inverse relation between serum E2 and fracture risk was nonlinear with a strong relation <16 pg/ml for E2 and 0.3 pg/ml for fE2. In conclusion, older Swedish men with low serum E2 and high SHBG levels have an increased risk of fractures.

The aetiology and epidemiology of clavicular fractures. a prospective study during a two-year period in Uppsala, Sweden

In a prospective study, the age- and gender-specific incidence and features of clavicular fractures were studied during 1989 and 1990. The population at risk consisted of about 200,000 individuals aged 15 or above in the county of Uppsala, Sweden. There were 187 clavicular fractures in 185 patients corresponding to an annual incidence of 50/100,000 (males 71/100,000, women 30/100,000). Males were significantly younger and sustained comminuted fractures more often than women. The fracture incidence decreased with age in both genders, although the reduction was significant only in men. Bicycle accidents most frequently caused clavicular fractures in both genders, whereas sports activities were significantly more common in men. Right and left clavicles were almost as frequently fractured, and a direct fall on the shoulder was the most frequent mechanism of injury for both genders. There was no difference between genders in the anatomical location with about three of four fractures occurring through the middle part and one of four through the acromial part of the clavicle. Ninety-five percent healed uneventfully, while non-union developed in 5% - evenly distributed between the middle part of the clavicle and the acromial part.

Dietary calcium intake and risk of fracture and osteoporosis: prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Objective To investigate associations between long term dietary intake of calcium and risk of fracture of any type, hip fractures, and osteoporosis. Design A longitudinal and prospective cohort study, based on the Swedish Mammography Cohort, including a subcohort, the Swedish Mammography Cohort Clinical. Setting A population based cohort in Sweden established in 1987. Participants 61 433 women (born between 1914 and 1948) were followed up for 19 years. 5022 of these women participated in the subcohort. Main outcome measures Primary outcome measures were incident fractures of any type and hip fractures, which were identified from registry data. Secondary outcome was osteoporosis diagnosed by dual energy x ray absorptiometry in the subcohort. Diet was assessed by repeated food frequency questionnaires. Results During follow-up, 14 738 women (24%) experienced a first fracture of any type and among them 3871 (6%) a first hip fracture. Of the 5022 women in the subcohort, 1012 (20%) were measured as osteoporotic. The risk patterns with dietary calcium were non-linear. The crude rate of a first fracture of any type was 17.2/1000 person years at risk in the lowest quintile of calcium intake, and 14.0/1000 person years at risk in the third quintile, corresponding to a multivariable adjusted hazard ratio of 1.18 (95% confidence interval 1.12 to 1.25). The hazard ratio for a first hip fracture was 1.29 (1.17 to 1.43) and the odds ratio for osteoporosis was 1.47 (1.09 to 2.00). With a low vitamin D intake, the rate of fracture in the first calcium quintile was more pronounced. The highest quintile of calcium intake did not further reduce the risk of fractures of any type, or of osteoporosis, but was associated with a higher rate of hip fracture, hazard ratio 1.19 (1.06 to 1.32). Conclusion Gradual increases in dietary calcium intake above the first quintile in our female population were not associated with further reductions in fracture risk or osteoporosis.

Screening for Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: Selection by Body Composition

There is a great need for simple means of identifying persons at low risk of developing osteoporosis, in order to exclude them from screening with bone mineral measurements, since this procedure is too expensive and time-consuming for general use in the unselected population. We have determined the relationships between body measure (weight, height, body mass index, lean tissue mass, fat mass, waist-to-hip ratio) and bone mineral density (BMD) in 175 women of ages 28–74 years in a cross-sectional study in a county in central Sweden. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed at three sites: total body, L2-4 region of lumbar spine, and neck region of the proximal femur. Using multiple linear regression models, the relationship between the dependent variable, BMD, and each of the body measures was determined, with adjustment for confounding factors. Weight alone, in a multivariate model, explained 28%, 21% and 15% of the variance in BMD of total body, at the lumbar spine and at the femoral neck according to these models. The WHO definition of osteopenia was used to dichotomize BMD, which made it possible, in multivariate logistic regression models, to estimate the risk of osteopenia with different body measures categorized into tertiles. Weight of over 71 kg was associated with a very low risk of being osteopenic compared with women weighing less than 64 kg, with odds ratios (OR) of 0.01 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00–0.09), 0.06 (CI 0.02–0.22) and 0.13 (CI 0.04–0.42) for osteopenia of total body, lumbar spine and femoral neck, respectively. Furthermore a sensitivity/specificity analysis revealed that, in this population, a woman weighing over 70 kg is not likely to have osteoporosis. Test specifics of a weight under 70 kg for osteoporosis (BMD less than 2.5 SD compared with normal young women) of femoral neck among the postmenopausal women showed a sensitivity of 0.94, a specificity of 0.36, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.21, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.97. Thus, exclusion of the 33% of women with the highest weight meant only that 3% of osteoporotic cases were missed. The corresponding figures for lumbar spine were sensitivity 0.89, specificity 0.38, PPV 0.33, and NPV 0.91. All women who were defined as being osteoporotic of total body weighed under 62 kg. When the intention was to identify those with osteopenia of total body among the postmenopausal women we attained a sensitivity of 0.92 and a NPV of 0.91 for a weight under 70 kg, whereas we found that weight could not be used as an exclusion criterion for osteopenia of femoral neck and lumbar spine. Our data thus indicate that weight could be used to exclude women from a screening program for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Leisure physical activity and the risk of fracture in men

Background Data from previous studies are inconsistent, and it is therefore uncertain whether, to what extent, and at what level leisure physical activity influences the risk of osteoporotic fractures in men. Methods and Findings A cohort of 2,205 men, 49–51 y of age, was enrolled in a longitudinal, population-based study. Leisure physical activity and other lifestyle habits were established at baseline and at ages 60, 70, 77, and 82 y. During 35 y of follow-up, 482 men had at least one fracture. Coxs proportional hazards regression was used to determine hazard ratios (HRs) of fracture associated with time-dependent physical activity habits and covariates. Men with a sedentary lifestyle (HR 2.56, 95% confidence interval 1.55–4.24) or men who walked or bicycled only for pleasure (HR 1.61, 95% confidence interval 1.10–2.36) had an increased adjusted risk of hip fracture compared with men who participated in regular sports activities for at least 3 h/wk. At the end of follow-up, 8.4% of the men with a high physical activity, 13.3% of the men with a medium physical activity, and 20.5% of the men with a low physical activity had suffered a hip fracture. According to the estimation of population-attributable risk, one third of all hip fractures could be prevented by participation in regular sports activities. High activity also conferred a reduced overall fracture risk. Conclusions Our data indicate that regular sports activities can reduce the risk of fractures in older men.

Risk factors for fractures of the distal forearm: A population-based case-control study

To evaluate the risk factors for early osteoporosis in consecutive patients with fracture of the distal forearm, a population-based case-control study was carried out using postal questionnaires supplemented by interviews when necessary. All men and women between the ages of 40 and 80 years who were resident in the County of Uppsala (population 265 000) and who sustained a fracture of the distal forearm during a defined 12-month period were initially included. Of 427 cases, 385 (90.2%) replied. Those with previous fragility fractures were excluded, leaving 367 patients in the study (mean age 61.9±10.6 years): 302 women (mean age 62.8±10.1 years) and 65 men (mean age 57.5±11.8 years). For each patient an age- and sex-matched control without previous fragility fractures was selected from the population register. The questionnaire concerned heredity, diseases and medications, general health, tobacco smoking and physical activity. Reproductive variables and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy were analyzed extensively. In neither sex were any significant, consistent differences found with regard to chronic diseases, medications, physical activity or smoking. In females heredity for fractures (odds ratio, OR=1.46) was associated with an increased risk. Nulliparous women had an increased risk of forearm fractures (OR=1.72) while late menopause (OR=0.95) and postmenopausal oestrogen therapy >2 years (OR=0.44) appeared to be protective. It is concluded that lifestyle factors did not discriminate between fracture patients and controls in this strict population-based investigation, suggesting that in affluent Western societies, with their high fracture rate, most individuals have an osteoporosis-prone way of life. The finding that oestrogen deficiency in women was a substantial risk factor that was reversed by replacement therapy reinforces his first line of prevention.

Postoperative drainage of knee arthroplasty is not necessary. A randomized study of 90 patients.

We studied the management of postoperative drainage after total knee replacement (TKR). 90 primary total knee joint arthroplasties were prospectively randomized into 3 groups: a) no drain, b) an autotransfusion system, c) a standard disposable closed suction drainage system. We monitored hemoglobin and hematocrit values, drainage volume and transfusions (homologous and autologous), range of knee motion, knee swelling and hospital stay. Parameters were recorded preoperatively, days 0-8 and 4 months postoperatively. No significant differences were seen between the groups in any of the parameters measured. The results show no benefit from using postoperative drainage systems in knee arthroplasties. Savings of SEK 400 (USD 55) per patient would have resulted if drains had not been used at all.

Diet, bone mass, and osteocalcin: A cross-sectional study

To determine the relationships among nutrient intake, bone mass, and bone turnover in women we have investigated these issues in a population-based, crosssectional, observational study in one county in central Sweden. A total of 175 women aged 28–74 at entry to the study were included. Dietary assessment was made by both a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and by four 1-week dietary records. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed at five sites: total body, L2–L4 region of the lumbar spine, and three regions of the proximal femur. Serum concentrations of osteocalcin (an osteoblast-specific protein reflecting bone turnover) were measured by a radioimmunoassay. Linear regression models, with adjustment for possible confounding factors, were used for statistical analyses. A weak positive association was found between dietary calcium intake as calculated from the semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and total body bone mineral density (BMD) among premenopausal women. No association emerged between dietary calcium intake and sitespecific bone mass, i.e., lumbar spine and femoral neck, nor was an association found between dietary calcium intake and serum osteocalcin. BMD at some of the measured sites was positively associated with protein and carbohydrates and negatively associated with dietary fat. In no previous studies of diet and bone mass have dietary habits been ascertained so carefully and the results adjusted for possible confounding factors. Neither of the two methods of dietary assessment used in this study revealed any effect of calcium intake on BMD at fracture-relevant sites among these healthy, mostly middle-aged women. A weak positive association was found between calcium intake estimates based on the food frequency questionnaire and total body BMD. In this study population the preventive effect of high dietary calcium on osteoporosis is probably very weak. The independent significance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat is uncertain.