Proactive measures can reduce hip fracture rates by an average of 37.2 percent -- and as much as 50 percent -- among those at risk, according to a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente Southern California. The study was published online on November 3 by The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, a peer-reviewed journal.

The prevalence of hospitalisations for osteoporotic (non-traumatic) hip fractures in the USA declined significantly from 1988 to 2005, despite an increase in all-cause hospitalisations over the same period and a general ageing of the population, according to research presented today at EULAR 2008, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Paris, France.

In a first-of-its-kind study in osteoporosis, one in four women surveyed from Europe, North America, and Australia reported having one or more bone fractures since the age of 45 years. Among women considered to be at high risk for a fracture, only 26% reported use of bone-saving drugs, with use reported significantly less frequently in Europe than in North America and Australia.

The annual bone fracture rate in England is just short of 4% of the population, which is more than double previous estimates, suggests a study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Men who have prostate cancer are on average four times more likely to suffer a hip fracture, with rates rising to eight times in men aged 50 to 65, according to a study of more than 60,000 men published in the October issue of the urology journal BJU International.

Women with low levels of vitamin D have an increased risk of hip fracture, according to a study led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health presented this week at the 29th annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research at the Hawaii Convention Center.

According to the U.S. Department of Census, the number of centenarians could cross the 4 million mark by 2050. Although approximately 40 percent of centenarians are functionally independent, they are among those at the highest risk for disabling arthritis and fractures due to osteoporosis.

Use of an energy-absorbing hip protector did not provide a protective effect against hip fracture for nursing home residents, adding to increasing evidence that hip protectors, as currently designed, are not effective for preventing hip fractures, according to a study in the July 25 issue of JAMA.

A drug used to strengthen bone has been found to help reduce the high incidence of hip fractures among people with Parkinson disease, according to a study published in the March 20, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.