Post‐traumatic stress disorder and risk of osteoporosis: A nationwide longitudinal study

Several studies suggested a relationship between stress and related mental illnesses, such as depression and osteoporosis. However, it was unclear whether patients with post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were at risk of developing osteoporosis in later life. In this study, 6,041 patients with PTSD and 24,164 age‐ or sex‐matched controls were enrolled between 2002 and 2009 in our study and followed up to the end of 2011. Cases of osteoporosis were identified during the follow‐up. Patients with PTSD had an elevated likelihood of developing osteoporosis (HR: 2.66, 95% CI [1.91, 3.71]) in later life compared with the controls. Sensitivity tests after excluding the first year observation (HR: 2.46, 95% CI [1.72, 3.53]) and the first 3‐year observation (HR: 1.88, 95% CI [1.18, 3.01]) were consistent. Patients with PTSD had a higher risk of developing osteoporosis at an earlier age compared with those without PTSD. Further studies would be necessary to clarify the pathophysiology between PTSD and osteoporosis.