Subclinical Heart Disease Can Cause More Falls in Elderly



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July 10 (UPI) – New research shows that heart injuries in older people can lead to more falls.

According to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, adults over the age of 75 with subclinical myocardial lesions and cardiac tension are at greater risk of falling. These findings suggest that improving heart health could prevent their falls from occurring within the older population.

"Given that falls can often be fatal for older adults, a better understanding of the factors contributing to falls is an important priority for public health," said Stephen Juraschek, primary care physician at the medical center. Beth Israel Deaconess and senior author of the study, press release. "For the first time, our study shows that subclinical cardiovascular disease is inherently a risk factor for falls." This raises the important question of whether treatment of cardiovascular insufficiency could help prevent falls in people older. "

These results come from researchers who examined the medical records of nearly 4,000 adults aged 75 years on average, with no history of cardiovascular disease, heart failure or stroke. They discovered that signs of subclinical myocardial involvement and that cardiac stresses were strongly and independently related to further falls within the study group.

Getting more physical activity could be the key to preventing myocardial damage. Earlier research, including a study published in December, showed that exercise can help reduce the risk of falling in the elderly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in four older adults falls in the United States each year. These accidents account for nearly $ 37 billion in Medicaid and Medicare expenditures each year.

"Our results are instructive for clinical discussions on both primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and fall intervention in the elderly," Juraschek said. "The treatment of subclinical cardiovascular disease can help prevent falls among older adults is beyond the scope of this study, but is an important topic for future fall prevention research, and such research could inform risk practitioners and benefits of primary prevention treatments in older people at risk of falls. "

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