BAR Could Predict Mortality After Hip Fracture

Preoperative lab ratio shows stronger association with short-term mortality risk vs other biomarkers.

By
Andrea Surnit
May 1, 2026
2 min

Conexiant

Objective:

To evaluate the association of preoperative blood urea nitrogen-to-albumin ratio (BAR) with 30-day mortality in elderly patients undergoing surgery for hip fractures.

Approach:

Key Findings:

10.5% of patients died within 30 days post-surgery.
Higher BAR values and lower albumin levels were observed in patients who died.
A BAR value of 9 or greater was associated with approximately 2.7 times the odds of 30-day mortality after adjustments.
BAR demonstrated 79% sensitivity and 72% specificity for predicting mortality.

Interpretation:

BAR is a strong independent predictor of early mortality in elderly patients with hip fractures, reflecting multiple physiological factors.

Limitations:

Retrospective, single-center design.
Potential for unmeasured confounding factors such as hydration status, nutritional condition, and frailty.
Focus on short-term outcomes without cause-specific mortality or long-term follow-up.

Conclusion:

Preoperative BAR is a simple and readily available biomarker that could enhance preoperative risk stratification for elderly patients with intertrochanteric hip fractures.