Patients with autoimmune hepatitis at higher risk of osteoporotic fracture

The risk of osteoporotic fracture seems greater in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), reveals a recent study. In addition, those with cirrhosis and long-term use of glucocorticoids appear to be at much greater risk.

Claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service between 2007 and 2020 were used in this study. A total of 7,062 AIH patients were matched to 28,122 control participants in a 1:4 ratio based on age, sex, and duration of follow-up.

Osteoporotic fractures were characterized by fractures of the vertebrae, hip, distal radius, and proximal humerus. The authors compared the incidence rate (IR) and IR ratio of osteoporotic fracture between AIH patients and controls, as well as assessed the related factors.

A total of 712 osteoporotic fractures occurred in patients with AIH (IR, 17.5 per 1,000 person-years) over a median follow-up of 5.4 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that AIH patients were at significantly increased risk of osteoporotic fractures relative to controls (IR ratio, 1.24, 95 percent confidence interval, 1.10‒1.39; p<0.01).

A higher risk of osteoporotic fractures was significantly associated with the following factors: older age, female sex, presence of cirrhosis, history of stroke, and glucocorticoid use.

The 2-year landmark analysis further revealed that longer duration of glucocorticoid exposure contributed to an incremental increased risk of osteoporotic fracture, according to the authors.