CURRENT USE OF THIAZIDE DIURETICS AND PREVENTION OF FEMUR FRACTURES

A case control study of a defined population from The Netherlands was performed to evaluate the risk of femur fractures associated with the use of thiazide diuretics, Included were 386 patients hospitalized for femur fractures between 1986 and 1990 who were residents and 45 yeats of age and older. Per case, one age-, sex-, pharmacy-, and general pr actitioner matched control was chosen from the general population. Dru g use was ascertained from computerized pharmacy records. The adjusted odds ratio of current use of thiazide diuretics was 0.5 (95% confiden ce interval, 0.3-0.9). The protective effect of thiazide diuretics was greatest for use of 1 year or longer at relatively high doses of thia zides (odds ratio, 0.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.9). We also fou nd that patients who discontinued thiazide use longer than 2 months we re not protected against femur fractures. These results support the hy pothesis that use of thiazide diuretics protects against femur fractur es.