Fractures are increased and bisphosphonate use decreased in individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes: a 10 year cohort study

Individuals with diabetes have been found previously to be at increased risk of non-traumatic fracture. However, it is unclear if these individuals are being identified and treated for osteoporosis.

7753 Canadians over 50 years of age were followed prospectively for 10 years. 606/7753 (7.8%) of had diabetes; 98 were insulin-dependent and 508 were not. Using a cox proportional hazards model, we assessed the association between diabetes status and incident non-traumatic fracture. Using logistic regression we identified factors associated with bisphosphonate use over the 10 year period of study.

Mean (SD) age of participants was 66.7(9.4) years and 72% were female. Those with diabetes had higher BMD T-scores at baseline, with a mean (SD) femoral neck T-Score of -0.97 (1.06), compared to -1.24 (0.99) in the general cohort. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for incident non-traumatic fracture in individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes over the 10 year study period was 2.50 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.60, 3.90; p < 0.001). Despite this increased fracture rate, individuals with diabetes (insulin-dependent or non-insulin-dependent) were less likely to be on bisphosphonate therapy at any point over 10 years of prospective follow up compared to other CaMos subjects (odds ratio [OR]: 0.59; 95% CI 0.46-0.75, p < 0.001).

Despite the increased risk of non-traumatic fracture associated with insulin-dependent diabetes, we that found individuals with diabetes are less likely to be treated with a bisphosphonate than those without diabetes. These findings point to a possible care gap in the treatment of non-traumatic fractures in individuals with diabetes in Canada.