Elderly with diabetes run risk of falling
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Diabetes may substantially raise the risk of falls among elderly adults living in nursing homes, new research shows.
In a study of 139 nursing home residents, researchers at Columbia University in New York found that men and women with diabetes were four times more likely than those without the disease to suffer a fall—a major cause of disability and death among the elderly.
In all, 78 percent of diabetic residents fell during the study period, compared with 30 percent of those without diabetes.
The findings are published in the Journal of Gerontology.
“It’s not really surprising that diabetes is such a potent risk factor,” Dr. Mathew S. Maurer, the study’s lead author, told Reuters Health.
That’s because a number of diabetes-related complications would be expected to contribute to falls, he explained. One example is diabetic retinopathy, which damages the blood vessels that supply the retina and can impair vision. Also, diabetic nerve damage that causes sudden blood pressure drops upon standing could also trigger dizziness and falls.
However, Maurer and his colleagues did not find a higher rate of such blood pressure changes among nursing home residents who fell. Nor were vision problems clearly linked to fall risk.
Maurer speculated that peripheral neuropathy—nerve damage that affects sensation in the feet and may throw off balance—could be the main source of diabetics’ elevated fall risk. But for now, he said, the reasons are not fully clear.
What does seem clear, according to the researcher, is that diabetes should be considered a major risk factor for falls among the elderly. Knowing this, Maurer said, can help nursing homes identify residents who need special care to reduce their odds of suffering a fall.
SOURCE: Journal of Gerontology, September 2005.
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