BACKGROUND: Falls are prevalent in older persons and can have serious consequences. METHODS: Data from the Longitudinal Study on Aging were analyzed to study the relationship between falls and both mortality and functional status in 4270 respondents age 70 and over. The effects of demographic traits, chronic conditions, and disability present at baseline were controlled for by means of multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Risk of death within 2 years was greater for both single fallers (crude odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.0) and multiple fallers (crude OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.7-2.8). This excess risk was dissipated when selected covariates were added to the model. No crude or adjusted association was evident between single falls and functional impairment; however, multiple falls were an independent risk factor (adjusted OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.0). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple falls in older persons increase risk of functional impairment and may indicate underlying conditions that increase risk of death.
BACKGROUND: Falls are prevalent in older persons and can have serious consequences. METHODS: Data from the Longitudinal Study on Aging were analyzed to study the relationship between falls and both mortality and functional status in 4270 respondents age 70 and over. The effects of demographic traits, chronic conditions, and disability present at baseline were controlled for by means of multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Risk of death within 2 years was greater for both single fallers (crude odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.0) and multiple fallers (crude OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.7-2.8). This excess risk was dissipated when selected covariates were added to the model. No crude or adjusted association was evident between single falls and functional impairment; however, multiple falls were an independent risk factor (adjusted OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.0). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple falls in older persons increase risk of functional impairment and may indicate underlying conditions that increase risk of death.
Authors: R W Sattin; D A Lambert Huber; C A DeVito; J G Rodriguez; A Ros; S Bacchelli; J A Stevens; R J Waxweiler Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 1990-06 Impact factor: 4.897
Authors: Wesley T O'Neal; Waqas T Qureshi; Suzanne E Judd; C Barrett Bowling; Virginia J Howard; George Howard; Elsayed Z Soliman Journal: Am J Cardiol Date: 2015-07-29 Impact factor: 2.778
Authors: Vicki A Freedman; Nancy Hodgson; Joanne Lynn; Brenda C Spillman; Timothy Waidmann; Anne M Wilkinson; Douglas A Wolf Journal: Milbank Q Date: 2006 Impact factor: 4.911
Authors: G A Handrigan; N Maltais; M Gagné; P Lamontagne; D Hamel; N Teasdale; O Hue; P Corbeil; J P Brown; S Jean Journal: Osteoporos Int Date: 2016-08-25 Impact factor: 4.507
Authors: K A Faulkner; J A Cauley; S A Studenski; D P Landsittel; S R Cummings; K E Ensrud; M G Donaldson; M C Nevitt Journal: Osteoporos Int Date: 2009-03-25 Impact factor: 4.507