Joe Verghese1,2, Emmeline Ayers1. 1. Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. 2. Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Biological underpinnings of falls in older adults are not well established. OBJECTIVES: To examine the validity of selected oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers for predicting incident falls in community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 266 non-demented and ambulatory community-dwelling older adults (mean age 78 years, 55% women). MEASUREMENTS: Oxidative stress (malondialdehyde) and inflammatory (interleukin-6 [IL-6]) biomarkers were selected based on associations with fall risk factors, and values were log-transformed to account for non-normal distributions. RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up of 20.5 ± 10.1 months, 119 participants fell. In Cox proportional hazards models, each one standard deviation increase in baseline log-malondialdehyde levels predicted incident falls (Hazard ratio (HR) adjusted for age, gender, education, comorbidity count, medications, log-IL-6 levels, prior falls, depressive symptoms, cognitive status, gait velocity, and balance 1.53, 95% CI 1.11-2.16). Log-IL-6 levels were not associated with falls. Participants in the highest log-malondialdehyde quartile at baseline had increased risk for incident falls than those in the lowest quartile (HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.41-4.34). CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress predicted falls in a community-based cohort, and should be further examined as a fall risk biomarker as well as a potential target to prevent falls.
BACKGROUND: Biological underpinnings of falls in older adults are not well established. OBJECTIVES: To examine the validity of selected oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers for predicting incident falls in community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 266 non-demented and ambulatory community-dwelling older adults (mean age 78 years, 55% women). MEASUREMENTS: Oxidative stress (malondialdehyde) and inflammatory (interleukin-6 [IL-6]) biomarkers were selected based on associations with fall risk factors, and values were log-transformed to account for non-normal distributions. RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up of 20.5 ± 10.1 months, 119 participants fell. In Cox proportional hazards models, each one standard deviation increase in baseline log-malondialdehyde levels predicted incident falls (Hazard ratio (HR) adjusted for age, gender, education, comorbidity count, medications, log-IL-6 levels, prior falls, depressive symptoms, cognitive status, gait velocity, and balance 1.53, 95% CI 1.11-2.16). Log-IL-6 levels were not associated with falls. Participants in the highest log-malondialdehyde quartile at baseline had increased risk for incident falls than those in the lowest quartile (HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.41-4.34). CONCLUSION:Oxidative stress predicted falls in a community-based cohort, and should be further examined as a fall risk biomarker as well as a potential target to prevent falls.
Authors: Julie A Pasco; Mark A Kotowicz; Margaret J Henry; Geoffrey C Nicholson; Heather J Spilsbury; Jeffrey D Box; Hans G Schneider Journal: JAMA Date: 2006-09-20 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Sarah E England; Joe Verghese; Jeannette R Mahoney; Constantin Trantzas; Roee Holtzer Journal: Gait Posture Date: 2014-09-22 Impact factor: 2.840
Authors: Mirnova E Ceïde; Daniel Eguchi; Emmeline I Ayers; David W Lounsbury; Joe Verghese Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-06-16 Impact factor: 4.614