Men with hip fractures have poorer nutritional status and survival than women

BACKGROUND: Many hip fracture patients have a poor nutritional status which may be one explanation for their increased mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied nutritional status and other mortality-related factors prospectively in 165 patients with hip fractures (85 women). We concentrated on differences between death rates and survival rates at 3 months and at 1 year, and between those patients who died within 3 months and those who died later. RESULTS: In general, men had a poorer nutritional status and a larger number of comorbidities. Also, there were more smokers and alcohol abusers amongst the men. Of the patients who died during the first 3 months, most were men, and their initial nutritional status was poorer than that of women. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a correlation between mortality and total serum protein, retinol binding protein and the number of comorbidities. Among patients who died after 3 months, mortality was associated with the number of comorbidities and smoking. INTERPRETATION: The higher mortality rate in men than in women after hip fracture may in part be explained by the poor nutritional status in men.