A study published in the journal JAMA Network Open revealed that having specific combinations of underlying health issues is a significant risk factor leading to poorer health outcomes in older adults who have had a prior fracture.

The study conducted by researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research revealed that with fractures closer to the center of the body, a higher mortality rate was observed among older adults in comparison to the general population of the same age.

The findings of the study showed that certain clusters of conditions were associated with increased mortality rates. If older adults with fractures also had multiple or complex health conditions, the mortality risk was higher again.

In the study, chronic health conditions at the time of fracture were naturally clustered into five specific groups for men and four for women: a relatively healthier group with generally only one or no health conditions, a cardiovascular group, a diabetic group, and a cancer group with an additional liver/inflammatory group for men. The presence of specific clusters of health conditions in people compounds the chance of death following these fractures, much greater than either fractures or health conditions alone.

For instance, the mortality rate following hip fracture amongst men in the cancer cluster was 41% higher than that of similarly aged men in the general community. And diabetes in otherwise healthy people was not associated with increased mortality risk, but diabetes in combination with heart, vascular, or kidney disease was.

Hence, the study suggested that there′s an interaction between the fracture and a patient′s cluster of health conditions, including their underlying health, which could be a good way to identify at-risk people. 

(Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/underlying-health-issues-linked-to-poor-outcomes-after-fracture-in-older-adults-study-440276 )