Epidemiology of osteoporosis related fractures in Hungary from the nationwide health insurance database, 1999-2003

The Hungarian national health insurance database was screened for fractures of patients aged 50-100, 1999-2003. On average, there were 343 hip, 1,579 forearm, 342 proximal humerus, 48 inpatient vertebral and 2,459 other fractures/100,000 inhabitants/year. Introduction The incidence of fractures differs among populations. Our aim was to study the incidence of fractures in Hungary, focusing on classical osteoporotic sites and to compare the results with those of other European countries. Methods The Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund database, covering 100% of the population, was screened for fractures of patients aged 50-100, 1999-2003. The search of vertebral fractures was restricted to those admitted to hospital. A gender and age-matched comparison was performed with available data from Europe. Results There were mean 343 hip, 1,579 forearm, 342 proximal humerus, 48 inpatient vertebral and 2,459 other fractures/100,000 inhabitants/year; the female/male ratio was between 1.2-2.4. Multiple fractures occurred in 23.1% of the cases. Hip fracture incidence in Hungary lies between the rates of northern and southern countries of Europe. Conclusions Our study offers nationwide epidemiological data on fractures in Hungary. The incidence of fractures increased by age, regardless of the type of fracture. Incidence of hip fractures in Hungary fits in the previously established geographic trends in Europe. Our results fulfil a need for fracture data from Central Europe.