Cristino C Oliveira1, Raquel Annoni2, Annemarie L Lee3, Jennifer McGinley4, Louis B Irving5, Linda Denehy6. 1. Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: cristino.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br. 2. Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Applied Physiotherapy, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: raquel.annoni@uftm.edu.br. 3. Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia; Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Frankston, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: annemarie.Lee@monash.edu. 4. Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: mcginley@unimelb.edu.au. 5. Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: Louis.Irving@mh.org.au. 6. Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: l.denehy@unimelb.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Falls are frequent in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and related to increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs in older adults. This systematic review aims to synthesise the falls outcomes and to examine risk factors for falls in the COPD literature. METHODS: The protocol was registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42015017257). Searches were updated and operated in five electronic databases in December 2019 for studies reporting falls outcomes and risk factors in people with COPD. Meta-analyses were conducted on the prevalence of fallers and frequent fallers. Quality assessment appraised the risk of bias of included articles. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies met the eligibility criteria and were retained after the full-text review. In the meta-analyses, the pooled prevalence of COPD fallers was 30% (95%CI 19%-42%), and the pooled prevalence of frequent fallers (≥2 falls in the analysed period of occurrence) was 24% (95%CI 2%-56%). The falls incidence rate in stable COPD varied from 1.17 to 1.49 falls/person-year. Different study methodologies were identified. Age, female gender, falls history, the number of medications, comorbidities, coronary heart disease, use of supplemental oxygen, impaired balance performance and smoking history were risk factors for falls identified in stable COPD. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of fallers, frequent fallers, and falls incidence rate have been reported in the COPD literature using a varying methodology. People with stable COPD present with ageing and disease-related risk factors for falls. Further research using the recommended prospective recording is needed in COPD.
BACKGROUND: Falls are frequent in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and related to increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs in older adults. This systematic review aims to synthesise the falls outcomes and to examine risk factors for falls in the COPD literature. METHODS: The protocol was registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42015017257). Searches were updated and operated in five electronic databases in December 2019 for studies reporting falls outcomes and risk factors in people with COPD. Meta-analyses were conducted on the prevalence of fallers and frequent fallers. Quality assessment appraised the risk of bias of included articles. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies met the eligibility criteria and were retained after the full-text review. In the meta-analyses, the pooled prevalence of COPD fallers was 30% (95%CI 19%-42%), and the pooled prevalence of frequent fallers (≥2 falls in the analysed period of occurrence) was 24% (95%CI 2%-56%). The falls incidence rate in stable COPD varied from 1.17 to 1.49 falls/person-year. Different study methodologies were identified. Age, female gender, falls history, the number of medications, comorbidities, coronary heart disease, use of supplemental oxygen, impaired balance performance and smoking history were risk factors for falls identified in stable COPD. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of fallers, frequent fallers, and falls incidence rate have been reported in the COPD literature using a varying methodology. People with stable COPD present with ageing and disease-related risk factors for falls. Further research using the recommended prospective recording is needed in COPD.
Authors: Rainer Gloeckl; Tessa Schneeberger; Daniela Leitl; Tobias Reinold; Christoph Nell; Inga Jarosch; Klaus Kenn; Andreas R Koczulla Journal: Respir Res Date: 2021-05-04