Longitudinal Associations Between Falls and Risk of Gait Decline: Results From the Central Control of Mobility and Aging Study.
Oshadi Jayakody, Helena M Blumen, Emmeline Ayers and 1 others
PMID 36108766WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults who had multiple falls in one year showed faster decline in walking pace and greater variability than those who did not fall.
However, falls were not associated with the risk of developing clinically observable gait abnormalities during the study period.
Key findings
01Participants with multiple falls experienced a faster decline in gait pace and speed, and a faster increase in rhythm and variability problems compared to non-fallers.
02Participants who had a single fall only showed a faster increase in gait variability compared to non-fallers.
03Neither single nor multiple falls were associated with an increased risk of developing incident clinical gait abnormalities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Falls and fear of falling were based on self-report, though assessed frequently. The study could not rule out reverse causation, meaning gait decline might have started before the falls occurred. Unmeasured confounders, such as brain structure or injury, may influence both falls and gait decline. The follow-up period may have been too short to capture the development of clinically observable gait abnormalities, which often develop over years.
Declared interests
One author is on the advisory board of two companies (Catch-U, Inc and MedR-hythms, Inc). Other authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that falls cause clinically observable gait abnormalities. The study found quantitative changes in gait domains but no increased risk of diagnosed clinical abnormalities during the follow-up period.