Osteoporosis risk and its association with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among the elderly: a 16-year nationwide cohort study.

Abstract

Background: Aged osteoporosis poses a significant threat to the well-being and longevity of older individuals, yet evidence regarding the relationship between osteoporosis risk and mortality among the elderly population in Asia remains unknown.

Aims: Our study aimed to investigate associations between osteoporosis risk and all-cause mortality, as well as cause-specific mortality, among the Chinese elderly population.

Methods: Pooled data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) conducted between 2002 and 2018 were utilized to analyze the associations between osteoporosis risk and all-cause, heart disease, cardiovascular disease (CVD), respiratory disease, and cancer mortality. Cox proportional hazards models were employed for this analysis. Osteoporosis risk was assessed using the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) functions were applied to explore the nonlinear relationship between OSTA and mortality. The robustness of the Cox models was evaluated through internal verification, subgroup analyses, and sensitivity analyses.

Results: A total of 12,711 elderly individuals aged ≥ 65 years were included for analysis at baseline. During a 16-year follow-up, 7,963 individuals in the cohort were identified as deceased. Compared to those with low osteoporosis risk, elderly individuals with high osteoporosis risk demonstrated a significantly elevated risk of all-cause, heart disease, CVD, respiratory disease and cancer mortality. The relationship between OSTA level and all-cause and cause-specific mortality exhibited a significant L-shaped pattern.

Conclusions: The risk of osteoporosis is independently associated with the prediction of mortality. The OSTA may serve as a suitable predictor for mortality related to osteoporosis among the Asian population.