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According to a US study, death rates from falls are increasing among older Americans and increasing more rapidly among 90-year-olds.
Among adults aged 75 and over, fall mortality has increased by 5.1% between 2000 and 2016, researchers report in JAMA. Mortality rates due to falls increased the most – 6.4% – among those aged 95 and over.
"People can die after a fall for many reasons, including head trauma, internal bleeding and complications of a bone fracture," said co-author of the study, Dr. Robin Lee, from the US Center for Disease Prevention and Control in Atlanta.
"These can lead to hospitalization, bed immobility and respiratory or other infections that can be fatal," Lee said by email.
Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury and hip fractures, and more than half of hip fractures are fatal in one year, Lee said.
Many older people may also take medications that have side effects that can increase the risk of falling, such as vision problems, confusion and drowsiness, Lee said.
The results of the study suggest that older people may be the most exposed.
In 2016, there were approximately 591 deaths due to falls per 100,000 population aged 95 and over, compared with 42 per 100,000 people aged 75 to 79 years.
Overall, the absolute number of deaths from falls among US adults aged 75 and over increased from 8,613 in 2000 to 25,189 in 2016.
The risk of fatal falls increased more rapidly among women, from 46.3 to 105.9 per 100,000 women, while it rose from 60.7 to 116.4 per 100,000 men.
The study was not designed to prove whether or how certain factors can be fatal.
One of the limitations of the study is that it is based on information from the US Census Bureau, which may underestimate the number of people aged 65 and over, which would lead to overestimation of mortality rates. authors of the study.
The researchers also were not able to say whether the people participating in the study had dropped more than once or whether they had fractures related to a fall, said Dr. Marco Pahor, author of an accompanying editorial and director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Florida at Gainesville. .
"Falls can be avoided," Pahor said by e-mail.
"Several steps can be taken to minimize the risk of falls and related injuries, including weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, balance exercises, resistance exercises to strengthen muscles, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, revision of medications that may cause low blood pressure) or loss of balance, vision correction, foot problems or dangerous footwear, as well as safety concerns. home, "said Pahor.
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