TORONTO - Heart failure is associated with a higher risk of subsequent broken bones, particularly hip fractures, in patients 65 and older who were studied in Alberta.
And the researchers suggest that because of this, patients with heart failure should be screened and treated for osteoporosis to prevent such breaks.
"Osteoporosis interventions were prescribed infrequently in these patients," said the study, published this week in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
The research involved patients with cardiovascular disease who showed up at Alberta emergency rooms between 1998 and 2001.
One year later, 4.6 per cent of heart failure patients had experienced a fracture, compared to just one per cent of other heart patients.
"This is the first study to link heart failure patients to a higher risk of fractures," senior author Dr. Justin Ezekowitz, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Alberta, said in a release.
The reasons for the higher rate of fractures among heart failure patients - compared to those suffering heart attacks, chest pain or rhythm disturbances - remain unclear, he said.
"It may be that heart failure patients aren't getting enough calcium or vitamin D," he said.
They also may be less likely to exercise due to fatigue, and lack of exercise can weaken the bones, he added.
Diet could also be a factor if patients don't adhere to the strict diet they're normally placed on, or if they are less inclined to eat.
