O steoporosis is a common condition throughout the developed world, affecting up to 16% of women and 7% of men aged 50 years and older. 1 The presence of underlying osteoporosis is a major risk factor for the development of fractures of the hip, proximal femur, spinal vertebra and forearm. In 2000, the estimated number of people with fractures worldwide was 56 million, and about 9 million new osteoporotic fractures occur each year.2 In 1993/94, the number of hip fractures in Canada was 23 375.3 This number is predicted to increase to 88 124 by the year 2041, with a parallel increase in the number of days in hospital (465 000 patientdays in 1993/94 to 1.8 million in 2041).3 Moreover, the casefatality rate for hip fractures can exceed 20%, 4 and all osteoporosis-related fractures can lead to substantial long-term disability and decreased quality of life.
5Many risk factors for the development of osteoporosis-related fracture have been identified, including white ethnic background, low body mass index, physical inactivity and female sex. [6][7][8] There are also a number of medication classes, including corticosteroids and serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors, whose use has been linked to higher rates of osteoporosis.9-11 Furthermore, any condition or drug that increases the risk of falls and injury also increases the risk of an osteoporosis-related fracture.
12,13One medication class that may affect bone mineral metabolism is proton pump inhibitors. This class of drugs inhibits the production and intragastric secretion of hydrochloric acid, which is believed to be an important mediator of calcium absorption in the small intestine.14 Recent studies have suggested that the use of proton pump inhibitors for 1 or more years is associated with hip fracture and other osteoporotic fractures; however, there is limited data on additional risk beyond 4 years exposure. 15,16 Because proton pump inhibitors are commonly prescribed to control and prevent symptoms of chronic unrelenting conditions, it is likely that many patients will use these medications for more than 4 years. Therefore, we used an adminstrative database to examine the effects of longer durations of proton pump inhibitor use on the development of osteoporosis-related fractures.
Methods
Data sourcesWe performed a retrospective, matched cohort study using the Population Health Research Data Repository, which contains comprehensive health care utilization data for nearly all
CMAJ
ResearchBackground: The use of proton pump inhibitors has been associated with an increased risk of hip fracture. We sought to further explore the relation between duration of exposure to proton pump inhibitors and osteoporosis-related fractures.
Methods:We used administrative claims data to identify patients with a fracture of the hip, vertebra or wrist between April 1996 and March 2004. Cases were each matched with 3 controls based on age, sex and comorbidities. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (OR) for the risk of hip fracture and all osteoporosis-related fractures for durations...
