Antipsychotic medication use and fracture: a case–control study

It has been reported that antipsychotic use is associated with lower bone mineral density and bone quality. We aimed to determine whether antipsychotic use is associated with fracture risk in a population-based sample of adults living in the Barwon Statistical Division, south-eastern Australia. In this case–control study, 1458 participants (51.8% women) with radiologically confirmed fracture between June 1st 2012 and May 31st 2013 (cases) were compared with 1795 participants (46.5% women) without fracture (controls) for the same time period. Medication use, medical history and lifestyle factors were documented by self-report. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to explore associations between antipsychotic use and fracture following adjustment for possible confounders. In women, antipsychotic use was identified for 20 of 755 (2.6%) cases and 10 of 834 (1.2%) controls ( p = 0.034) and in men, antipsychotic use was identified for 13 of 703 (1.8%) cases and 5 of 961 (0.5%) controls ( p = 0.010). Following adjustments, antipsychotic use was associated with a 3.0-fold increased risk of fracture in men and a 2.3-fold increased risk of fracture in women. Patterns persisted after exclusion of participants with non-fragility fractures and self-reported schizophrenia. While future research exploring underlying mechanisms is needed, regular monitoring of bone health in antipsychotic users is suggested.