Osteoporosis, bone & mineral

Multimorbidity patterns among fragility fracture patients aged 50 + years in China and the US

Osteoporos IntPublished Cross-sectional study

Authors' conclusion

Except among female fracture patients in the US, hyperlipidemia was the most prevalent comorbidity among Chinese and US fragility fracture patients. US fracture patients demonstrated a similar complex comorbidity network to non-fracture individuals.

Study context

Population
Fragility fracture patients aged ≥ 50 years in China (single hospital inpatients) and the US (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES))73% females
Exposure
Chinese vs US fragility fracture patients; US fracture patients vs matched non-fracture individuals
Outcome
Multimorbidity patterns (comorbidity prevalence, disease pairs, complexity of comorbidity network by average degree)
Methodological detailsinpatient electronic medical records (China, 2018–2023) and NHANES 1999-2020, NHANES fracture patients matched to non-fracture individuals by age (< 1 year), sex and survey cycle, comorbidity network analysis (average degree)
  • Inpatient electronic medical records (China, 2018–2023) and NHANES 1999-2020
  • NHANES fracture patients matched to non-fracture individuals by age (< 1 year), sex and survey cycle
  • Comorbidity network analysis (average degree)

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Most prevalent comorbidity

Chinese fracture patients: hyperlipidemia, male

63.3%

Chinese fracture patients: hyperlipidemia, female

65.2%

US fracture patients: hyperlipidemia, males

67.3%

US fracture patients: osteoporosis, females

78.3%

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

OutcomeUS fractureNon-fracture individuals
Comorbidity network complexity (average degree), males7.827.59
Comorbidity network complexity (average degree), females7.947.44

Most prevalent disease pair

US fracture patients: osteoporosis and hyperlipidemia, male
40.8%
US fracture patients: osteoporosis and hyperlipidemia, female
61.4%
Chinese fracture patients: hypertension and hyperlipidemia, male
26.6%
Chinese fracture patients: hypertension and hyperlipidemia, female
29.4%

Comorbidity network complexity (average degree), males

Multimorbidity pattern of US fracture patients similar to non-fracture individuals

Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.

Original publication

Multimorbidity patterns among fragility fracture patients aged 50 + years in China and the US. Osteoporos Int. Published 25 June 2026. doi:10.1007/s00198-026-08120-4

Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →

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