Journal of the Formosan Medical Association · Jul 26, 2025

Red cell distribution width as an inflammatory biomarker for predicting one-year survival after geriatric hip fracture: A prospective cohort study

By Nguyen TTB, Kuo YJ, Tran QS et al.

INTRODUCTION: Geriatric hip fractures are a significant public health concern due to their high morbidity and mortality rates, especially within the first year post-injury. Identifying predictors of mortality can guide early risk assessment and improve outcomes. We aimed to determine the one-year mortality rate following hip fractures and identify clinical and laboratory features associated with the mortality. METHODS: This prospective cohort study enrolled patients aged ≥60 with low-trauma hip fractures who underwent surgery at a single center. One-year mortality rate was evaluated, and admission characteristics were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Multivariate logistic regression, Cox regression, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were conducted to identify independent predictors of mortality. RESULTS: Five hundred patients with hip fractures were included (149 males and 351 females, mean age of 81.05 years old), revealing the mortality rate of 11.6 %. Non-survivors were older, more likely to be male, and had greater comorbidities, poorer health-related quality of life, cognitive decline, reduced independence, and worse nutritional and inflammatory profiles. Multivariate analyses identified advanced age, male sex, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, and elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) at admission as independent predictors of one-year mortality. CONCLUSION: RDW emerged as a useful inflammatory marker, offering a simple means for early risk stratification in clinical settings. Integrating this biomarker with age, sex, and CCI could enhance the predictive accuracy for one-year mortality risk after geriatric hip fracture.

doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.07.018Open accessPubMed 40713366Biomarkers