Cancer patients with fractures are rarely assessed or treated for osteoporosis: a population-based study.

Among 4238 cancer and 16,418 cancer-free individuals with incident major non-traumatic fractures (hip, clinical vertebral, forearm, humerus), post-fracture osteoporosis care was equally poor for both groups, whether assessed from bone mineral density (BMD) testing, initiation of osteoporosis therapy or either intervention (BMD testing and/or osteoporosis therapy). INTRODUCTION: Most individuals sustaining a fracture do not undergo evaluation and/or treatment for osteoporosis. Cancer survivors are at increased risk for osteoporosis and fracture. Whether cancer survivors experience a similar post-fracture "care gap" is unclear. Using population-based databases, we assessed whether cancer patients are evaluated and/or treated for osteoporosis after a major fracture. METHODS: From the Manitoba Cancer Registry, we identified cancer cases (first cancer diagnosis between 1987 and 2013) and cancer-free controls with incident major non-traumatic fractures (from provincial physician billing claims and hospitalization databases). The outcomes were performance of BMD testing (from the BMD Registry), initiation of osteoporosis therapy (from drug dispensation database) or either intervention (BMD testing and/or osteoporosis therapy) in the 12 months post-fracture. RESULTS: There were 4238 cancer and 16,418 cancer-free individuals who sustained a fracture after the index date (cancer diagnosis) and were followed for at least 1 year post-fracture. Subsequent BMD testing was performed in 11.0% of cancer cases versus 11.5% non-cancer controls (P = 0.43), osteoporosis treatment in 22.9% cancer cases versus 21.8% non-cancer controls (P = 0.15), and either testing or treatment in 28.9% cancer cases versus 28.4% non-cancer controls (P = 0.53). Predictors of BMD testing and/or initiation of therapy were similar for non-cancer and cancer patients. Post-fracture interventions were consistently used more frequently among women, older patients (age 50 years or older), those who sustained fractures in a later calendar period, and (for treatment) after vertebral fracture. Cancer-specific variables (cancer type, years from cancer diagnosis to fracture, specialty of care provider) showed only weak and inconsistent effects. CONCLUSIONS: A large care gap exists among cancer patients who sustain a fracture, similar to the general population, whereby the evaluation or treatment for osteoporosis is seldom conducted. Care maps may need to be developed for cancer populations to improve post-fracture care.

The effect of multimorbidity on changes in health-related quality of life following hip and knee arthroplasty.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of multimorbidity on improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients and Methods: Using data from a regional joint registry for 14 573 patients, HRQoL was measured prior and one year following surgery using the Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey Physical and Mental Component Summary scores (PCS and MCS, respectively). Multimorbidity was defined as the concurrence of two or more self-reported chronic conditions. A linear mixed-effects model was used to test the effects of multimorbidity and the number of chronic conditions on improvements in HRQoL. Results: Almost two-thirds of patients had multimorbidity, which adversely effected improvements in HRQoL. For THA, mean improvements in HRQoL scores were reduced by 2.21 points in OHS, 1.62 in PCS, and 4.14 in MCS; for TKA, the mean improvements were reduced by 1.71 points in OKS, 1.92 in PCS, and 3.55 in MCS (all p < 0.0001). An increase in the number of chronic conditions was associated with increasing reductions in HRQoL improvements. Conclusion: Multimorbidity adversely effects improvements in HRQoL following THA and TKA. Our findings are relevant to healthcare providers focused on the management of patients with chronic conditions and for administrators reporting and monitoring the outcomes of THA and TKA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1168-74.

Chronic disease and chronic disease risk factors among First Nations, Inuit and Métis populations of northern Canada.

INTRODUCTION: Aboriginal populations in northern Canada are experiencing rapid changes in their environments, which may negatively impact on health status. The purpose of our study was to compare chronic conditions and risk factors in northern Aboriginal populations, including First Nations (FN), Inuit and Métis populations, and northern non-Aboriginal populations. METHODS: Data were from the Canadian Community Health Survey for the period from 2005 to 2008. Weighted multiple logistic regression models tested the association between ethnic groups and health outcomes. Model covariates were age, sex, territory of residence, education and income. Odds ratios (ORs) are reported and a bootstrap method calculated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and p values. RESULTS: Odds of having at least one chronic condition was significantly lower for the Inuit (OR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.43-0.81) than for non-Aboriginal population, but similar among FN, Métis and non-Aboriginal populations. Prevalence of many risk factors was significantly different for Inuit, FN and Métis populations. CONCLUSION: Aboriginal populations in Canada's north have heterogeneous health status. Continued chronic disease and risk factor surveillance will be important to monitor changes over time and to evaluate the impact of public health interventions.

TITRE: Maladies chroniques et facteurs de risque chez les membres des Premières Nations, les Inuits et les Métis du Nord canadien. INTRODUCTION: Les populations autochtones du Nord canadien subissent des changements rapides dans leur environnement, ce qui peut avoir des effets nuisibles sur leur état de santé. Nous avons voulu comparer les maladies chroniques et les facteurs de risque des populations autochtones du Nord canadien, à savoir les Premières nations, les Inuits et les Métis, avec les populations non autochtones de la même zone. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Les données sont tirées de l'Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes de 2005 à 2008. Des modèles de régression logistique multiple pondérée ont servi à analyser l'association entre les groupes ethniques et les résultats de santé. Les covariables du modèle étaient l'âge, le sexe, le territoire de résidence, le niveau de scolarité et le revenu. Nous présentons les rapports de cotes (RC) et nous avons utilisé la méthode d'échantillonnage bootstrap pour calculer les intervalles de confiance (IC) à 95% et les valeurs p. RÉSULTATS: La probabilité d'avoir au moins une maladie chronique était significativement plus faible chez les Inuits (RC = 0,59; IC à 95 % : 0,43 à 0,81) que chez les non-Autochtones, mais elle était similaire chez les Premières nations, les Métis et les non-Autochtones. La prévalence de nombreux facteurs de risque était significativement différente chez les Inuits, les membres des Premières nations et les Métis. CONCLUSION: Les Autochtones du Nord canadien ont des états de santé hétérogènes. Le maintien d'une surveillance continue des maladies chroniques et des facteurs de risque va jouer un rôle important dans la mesure des évolutions et dans l'évaluation de l'impact des interventions en santé publique les concernant.

Associations between adverse social position and bone mineral density in women aged 50 years or older: data from the Manitoba Bone Density Program.

UNLABELLED: We examined the independent contribution of income to low bone mineral density in women aged 50 years and older. A significant dose-response association was observed between low income and low (bone mineral density) BMD, which was not explained by clinical risk factors or osteoporotic treatment in the year prior. INTRODUCTION: The association between social disadvantage and osteoporosis is attracting increased attention; however, little is known of the role played by income. We examined associations between income and bone mineral density (BMD) in 51,327 women aged ≥50 years from Manitoba, Canada. METHODS: Low BMD was defined as a T-score ≥2.5SD (femoral neck or minimum) measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) 1996-2001. Mean household income was extracted from Canada Census 2006 public use files and categorized into quintiles. Age, weight and height were recorded at time of DXA. Parental hip fracture was self-reported. Diagnosed comorbidities, including osteoporotic fracture and rheumatoid arthritis, were ascertained from hospital records and physician billing claims. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was used as a proxy for smoking and alcohol abuse as a proxy for high alcohol intake. Corticosteroid use was obtained from the comprehensive provincial pharmacy system. Logistic regression was used to assess relationships between income (highest income quintile held as referent) and BMD, accounting for clinical risk factors. RESULTS: Compared to quintile 5, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for low BMD at femoral neck for quintiles 1 through 4 were, respectively, OR1.41 (95%CI 1.29-1.55), OR1.32 (95%CI 1.20-1.45), OR1.19 (95%CI 1.08-1.30) and OR1.10 (95%CI 1.00-1.21). Similar associations were observed when further adjustment was made for osteoporotic drug treatment 12 months prior and when low BMD was defined by minimum T-score. CONCLUSIONS: Lower income was associated with lower BMD, independent of clinical risk factors. Further work should examine whether lower income increases the likelihood of treatment qualification.

The contributions of First Nations ethnicity, income, and delays in surgery on mortality post-fracture: a population-based analysis.

UNLABELLED: We examined the independent contributions of First Nations ethnicity and lower income to post-fracture mortality. A similar relative increase in mortality associated with fracture appears to translate into a larger absolute increase in post-fracture mortality for First Nations compared to non-First Nations peoples. Lower income also predicted increased mortality post-fracture. INTRODUCTION: First Nations peoples have a greater risk of mortality than non-First Nations peoples. We examined the independent contributions of First Nations ethnicity and income to mortality post-fracture, and associations with time to surgery post-hip fracture. METHODS: Non-traumatic fracture cases and fracture-free controls were identified from population-based administrative data repositories for Manitoba, Canada (aged≥50 years). Populations were retrospectively matched for sex, age (within 5 years), First Nations ethnicity, and number of comorbidities. Differences in mortality post-fracture of hip, wrist, or spine, 1996-2004 (population 1, n=63,081), and the hip, 1987-2002(Population 2, n=41,211) were examined using Cox proportional hazards regression to model time to death. For hip fracture, logistic regression analyses were used to model the probability of death within 30 days and 1 year. RESULTS: Population 1: First Nations ethnicity was associated with an increased mortality risk of 30-53% for each fracture type. Lower income was associated with an increased mortality risk of 18-26%. Population 2: lower income predicted mortality overall (odds ratio (OR) 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.23) and for hip fracture cases (OR 1.18, 95%CI 1.05-1.32), as did older age, male sex, diabetes, and >5 comorbidities (all p≤0.01). Higher mortality was associated with pertrochanteric fracture (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.27), or surgery delay of 2-3 days (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.18-1.52) or ≥4 days (OR 2.35, 95% CI 2.07-2.67). CONCLUSION: A larger absolute increase in mortality post-fracture was observed for First Nations compared to non-First Nations peoples. Lower income and surgery delay>2 days predicted mortality post-fracture. These data have implications regarding prioritization of healthcare to ensure targeted, timely care for First Nations peoples and/or individuals with lower income.

A framework for modelling differences in regional mortality over time.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To present a conceptual framework for testing differences in mortality for small geographical areas over time using the generalised linear model with generalised estimating equations. This framework can be used to test whether the magnitude of regional inequalities in health status has changed over time. DESIGN: A Poisson regression model for correlated data is used to investigate the relation of population health status to demographic, geographical, and temporal explanatory variables. Differences between regions at one or more points in time are tested with linear contrasts. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A case example shows the application of the framework. All cause mortality and cause specific mortality were compared for three rural regions of Manitoba, Canada between 1985 and 1999. The data were obtained from Vital Statistics records and the provincial health registry. MAIN RESULTS: Tests of linear contrasts on the regression coefficients for time and region show an increase in the magnitude of the difference in the risk of all cause mortality and heart disease mortality between northern and southern regions of the province for the 1985-1989 and 1995-1999 time periods. No significant differences are identified for cancer, injury, or respiratory disease mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed framework enables testing of a variety of hypotheses about differences between regions and time periods and can be applied to other measures of population health status.