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Fluoride in drinking water and risk of hip fracture in the UK: a case-control study

Fluoride in drinking water and risk of hip fracture in the UK: a case-control study
Fluoride in drinking water and risk of hip fracture in the UK: a case-control study
Background
Although the benefits of water fluoridation for dental health are widely accepted, concerns remain about possible adverse effects, particularly effects on bone. Several investigators have suggested increased rates of hip fracture in places with high concentrations of fluoride in drinking water, but this finding has not been consistent, possibly because of unrecognised confounding effects.

Methods
We did a case-control study of men and women aged 50 years and older from the English county of Cleveland, and compared patients with hip fracture with community controls. Current addresses were ascertained for all participants; for those who agreed to an interview and who passed a mental test, more detailed information was obtained about lifetime residential history and exposure to other known and suspected risk factors for hip fracture. Exposures to fluoride in water were estimated from the residential histories and from information provided by water suppliers. Analysis was by logistic regression.

Findings
914 cases and 1196 controls were identified, of whom 514 and 527, respectively, were interviewed. Among those interviewed, hip fracture was strongly associated with low body-mass index (p for trend < 0·001) and physical inactivity (p for trend < 0·001). Estimated average lifetime exposure to fluoride in drinking water ranged from 0·15 to 1·79 ppm. Current residence in Hartlepool was a good indicator for high lifetime exposure to fluoride. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio associated with an average lifetime exposure to fluoride ?0·9 ppm was 1·0 [95% Cl 0·7–1·5].

Interpretation
There is a low risk of hip fracture for people ingesting fluoride in drinking water at concentrations of about 1 ppm. This low risk should not be a reason for withholding fluoridation of water supplies.

0140-6736
265-269
Hillier, Sharon
32786ddc-876b-4be4-a0f4-05710aea2a50
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Kellingray, Sam
1a2a298f-1ffa-4470-88b7-948db8983e62
Russell, Graham
9b283a34-4ef4-4141-a411-d42fb4de1e1d
Hughes, Herbert
90463892-d6c2-4483-9f82-f97776e10683
Coggon, David
2b43ce0a-cc61-4d86-b15d-794208ffa5d3
Hillier, Sharon
32786ddc-876b-4be4-a0f4-05710aea2a50
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Kellingray, Sam
1a2a298f-1ffa-4470-88b7-948db8983e62
Russell, Graham
9b283a34-4ef4-4141-a411-d42fb4de1e1d
Hughes, Herbert
90463892-d6c2-4483-9f82-f97776e10683
Coggon, David
2b43ce0a-cc61-4d86-b15d-794208ffa5d3

Hillier, Sharon, Cooper, Cyrus, Kellingray, Sam, Russell, Graham, Hughes, Herbert and Coggon, David (2000) Fluoride in drinking water and risk of hip fracture in the UK: a case-control study. The Lancet, 355, 265-269. (doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(99)07161-5).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background
Although the benefits of water fluoridation for dental health are widely accepted, concerns remain about possible adverse effects, particularly effects on bone. Several investigators have suggested increased rates of hip fracture in places with high concentrations of fluoride in drinking water, but this finding has not been consistent, possibly because of unrecognised confounding effects.

Methods
We did a case-control study of men and women aged 50 years and older from the English county of Cleveland, and compared patients with hip fracture with community controls. Current addresses were ascertained for all participants; for those who agreed to an interview and who passed a mental test, more detailed information was obtained about lifetime residential history and exposure to other known and suspected risk factors for hip fracture. Exposures to fluoride in water were estimated from the residential histories and from information provided by water suppliers. Analysis was by logistic regression.

Findings
914 cases and 1196 controls were identified, of whom 514 and 527, respectively, were interviewed. Among those interviewed, hip fracture was strongly associated with low body-mass index (p for trend < 0·001) and physical inactivity (p for trend < 0·001). Estimated average lifetime exposure to fluoride in drinking water ranged from 0·15 to 1·79 ppm. Current residence in Hartlepool was a good indicator for high lifetime exposure to fluoride. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio associated with an average lifetime exposure to fluoride ?0·9 ppm was 1·0 [95% Cl 0·7–1·5].

Interpretation
There is a low risk of hip fracture for people ingesting fluoride in drinking water at concentrations of about 1 ppm. This low risk should not be a reason for withholding fluoridation of water supplies.

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More information

Published date: 22 January 2000
Organisations: Medicine

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 150145
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/150145
ISSN: 0140-6736
PURE UUID: 15f5dff1-b16b-489e-8aa4-2b445961e5f4
ORCID for Cyrus Cooper: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3510-0709
ORCID for David Coggon: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1930-3987

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 26 Jul 2010 09:22
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:44

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Contributors

Author: Sharon Hillier
Author: Cyrus Cooper ORCID iD
Author: Sam Kellingray
Author: Graham Russell
Author: Herbert Hughes
Author: David Coggon ORCID iD

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