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HIV patients are at greater risk of bone fracture, study finds

Category: HIV

Following a positive HIV test, adults may do well to take steps to improve their bone health. A new study has found that these individuals are at an increased risk of suffering from fractures.

After comparing the rates of fracture among nearly 6,000 patients being treated for HIV and the general population, researchers from the Rocky Mountain Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services in Denver found that those with the infection were 2 to 3.6 times more likely to break a bone.

Previous research has suggested that individuals with HIV are more likely to have lower bone density. However, the new study is among the first to quantify the increased risk of fractures among patients being treated for the disease. The researchers said that they hope this will lead to improved treatment guidelines.

"The optimal clinical management of bone health in HIV-infected individuals is not well defined and remains controversial," Benjamin Young, who led the study, told HealthDay News. The findings "support the need to develop guidelines that address screening for - and correcting - reversible causes of low bone mineral density and fall risk."