Students Research in Progress
Saturday, November 11, 2023
11:30 AM–01:00 PM
Abstract
Introduction: Diabetes is a chronic health condition that may be associated with an uncommon complication of osteoporosis, which puts patients at risk for falls and fractures. The goal of this study was to conduct a gender comparison of the number of fractures and falls reported between men and women with type 2 diabetes.
Research Question or Hypothesis: Do women or men aged 55 years or older diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have a higher number of fractures and/or falls reported?
Study Design: Quantitative retrospective study
Methods: A list of 1,200 patients from East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, Louisiana was generated from the Epic electronic health record system using the keywords: type 2 diabetes diagnosis, falls, and fractures. Of those 1,200 patients, fifty men and fifty women were selected randomly. The number of fractures and/or falls reported in patient charts were collected to compare differences of occurrence between men and women aged 55 years or older with type 2 diabetes. Secondary analyses included a correlation between BMI, comorbid conditions, or A1C (>7 %) with the incidence of fractures or falls.
Results: There was no significant difference in the mean number of falls and mean number of fractures reported by gender groups, (p=0.976) and (p=0.732) respectively. However, there was a significant difference between groups, with 50% of females reporting fractures compared to only 26% of males (p=0.023). In our secondary analyses, the only strong correlation (p<0.001) found was between number of fractures and comorbid conditions.
Conclusion: These results suggest that women aged 55 years or older with type 2 diabetes are most likely to have a fracture compared to men with the similar baseline characteristics. While this study showed no significant difference in falls, overall efforts to improve prevention of this complication are needed.
Presenting Author
Kaylin Miller PharmD CandidateXavier University of Louisiana
Authors
Fahamina Ahmed Pharm D
Xavier University of Louisisana College of Pharmacy
Candice Smith MPH
Xavier University of Louisiana