Parkinsonian signs are a risk factor for falls.
Nabila Dahodwala, Chinwe Nwadiogbu, Whitney Fitts and 2 others
PMID 28407503WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with mild parkinsonian signs were more likely to fall during follow-up, even after common fall risk factors were considered.
Their falls were also more likely to result in injury and emergency service use.
Key findings
01Of 982 analysed participants, 121 had parkinsonian signs and 280 fell during follow-up.
02After adjustment, participants with parkinsonian signs were 38% more likely to fall than those without (relative risk 1.38).
03Falls in participants with parkinsonian signs were more likely to result in injury (53% vs 37%) and emergency visits (40% vs 25%).
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 were assessed at intervals, so some falls may have been missed. Many participants were assessed by video, which cannot directly measure rigidity and may misclassify parkinsonian signs. The analysis restricted to in-person examinations was similar but not significant, so uncertainty remains about the strength of the association. Several common fall risk factors, such as vision loss and polypharmacy, were not measured or adjusted for. Some recruited participants were excluded or had missing baseline data, so the analysed sample was smaller than the recruited sample. Participants were primary care patients, so results may not apply to older adults outside that setting.
Declared interests
The authors reported no financial or personal conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that treating parkinsonian signs will reduce falls. The study was observational and did not test a treatment, so it shows an association, not a proven cause or effective therapy.