Total Hip Replacement: The Preoperative Health Status of Patients in Japan Compared with England and the United States

Abstract

AbstractTo explore the contribution of health care to the excellent health status enjoyed by the Japanese compared with other industrialized populations, the preoperative health status of a retrospective cohort of 256 patients who underwent total hip replacement in Japan was compared with 301 patients in England (and published data from the United States). Patients in Japan had less severe hip disease, less comorbidity (in particular, less cardiovascular disease), and were in better general health. This finding suggests that health care contributes little to explaining the better health of people in Japan compared with England and the United States.