Diabetes is responsible for a host of well-known complications including kidney problems, eyesight loss, and nerve damage. But clinicians and patients may be less aware that the disease also poses a greater risk of certain bone fractures, say researchers.
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are more likely to suffer hip and non-vertebral fractures (those not occurring in the spine or skull), according to a study conducted by Tatiane Vilaca, M.D., from the University of Sheffield, and colleagues.
The odds of fracture are greatest in people with type 1 versus type 2 diabetes, the investigators found. But insulin use and longer diabetes duration contribute to an increased risk in those with type 2 diabetes as well, they wrote.
The researchers hope that increased awareness about the issue will prompt doctors to routinely assess bone density and bone strength in these patients when screening for other diabetes-related health problems.
Full findings were published in the journal Bone.
