High levels of an endothelial dysfunction marker (sVCAM-1) are associated with injurious and recurrent falls and mortality over a 5-year interval in an older population.

We investigated the association between elevated plasma concentrations of circulating soluble Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and injurious falls and mortality over a 5-year period. We studied the prospective relationship between levels of circulating adhesion molecules and falls in 680 community-dwelling participants in the MOBILIZE Boston Study. The mean sVCAM-1 (±SD) concentration was 1192 ± 428 ng/mL. Over 5-years of follow-up, 10.2% of participants died. The baseline sVCAM-1 (±SD) concentration was 1434 ± 511 ng/mL in those who died vs. 1162 ± 402 ng/mL in those who survived (P < 0.0001). sVCAM-1 level was associated with recurrent falls (P < 0.01); compared to the lowest quintile, the highest quintile of sVCAM-1 was associated with increased risk of injurious falls [multivariable adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio = 1.9, 95% CI (1.2-2.9), P = 0.009]. On survival analysis, the highest sVCAM-1 quintile was associated with the greatest mortality over 5 years (log-rank test, P < 0.0001). The adjusted hazard ratio was 2.4 [95% CI (2.1-2.7), P = 0.002]. High sVCAM-1 blood concentration was strongly associated with recurrent falls, injurious falls, and mortality in older adults.