Abstract
Background/Objectives: Excess mortality after hip fracture is higher in men than in women. The objective was to study whether comorbidity differs in men and women with hip fracture and to what degree differences in comorbidity according to gender may explain the higher excess mortality in men.
Results: Despite lower age (mean 78.7 vs 81.7), men had higher comorbidity than women. Compared with controls, women (hazard ratio (HR) = 6.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 6.2–6.9) and men (HR = 7.8, 95% CI = 7.3–8.3) with a CCI of 2 or greater were more likely to die. Women with a CCI of 2 or greater had an estimated 1‐year risk of dying of 44%, and controls had an 11% risk; men with a CCI of 2 or greater had an estimated risk of dying of 53%, and controls had a 12% risk. Men were twice as likely as women to die within 1 year (HR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.9–2.1). When adjusting for comorbidity, the difference was only slightly smaller (HR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.7–1.8).
Conclusion: Men had greater comorbidity than women, but this did not explain the difference according to gender in excess mortality after hip fracture. Men who fracture a hip are an especially vulnerable subpopulation, even when there is no apparent comorbidity, and warrant special attention in follow‐up and care.