6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 1/5
DeadlyFallsinOlderAmericansAreRising.Here̓ sHowtoPreventThem.Therateofdeathsafterfallsisrisingforpeopleover75,anewstudyshows.Butfallsareavoidableformostseniors.Wehavesometips.
ByKatieHafner
June4,2019
Asthepopulationages,thenumberofolderAmericanswhodiefollowingafallisrising.AstudypublishedTuesdayinthemedicaljournalJAMAfoundthatforpeopleover75,therateofmortalityfromfallsmorethandoubledfrom2000to2016.
Researchersanalyzedinformationobtainedfromdeathcertificatesmaintainedbythefederalgovernment’sNationalCenterforHealthStatistics.In2016,therateofdeathfromfallsforpeople75andolderwas111per100,000people,theyfound.In2000,thatratewas52per100,000people.
ElizabethBurns,ahealthscientistattheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,whowasanauthorofthestudy,saidthereasonfortheincreasewasunclear.
“Themostlikelyreasonisthatpeoplearelivinglongerwithconditionsthatinthepasttheymighthavediedfrom,”shesaid.Inaddition,shecontinued,olderadultsareonmedicationsthatincreasetheirriskoffalling.Womenareslightlymorelikelytofallthanmen,butmenareslightlymorelikelytodieasaresultofafall.
[Readourstoriesonfallsandtheagingpopulation.]
“Thetake-homemessageisthatfallskill,”saidDr.LewisLipsitz,aprofessorofmedicineatHarvardMedicalSchoolanddirectoroftheMarcusInstituteforAgingResearchatHebrewSeniorLife,ahousing,researchandhealthcareorganizationintheBostonarea.Hewasnotinvolvedinthestudy.
Althoughthetrendisdisturbing,fallsneedn’tbeaninevitablepartofaging,andtheyarepreventable.
Thisisyourlastarticle.Createanaccountorlogintogetmore
6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 2/5
“Thebiggestriskfactorforfallsthatcan’tbechangedisyourage,”saidDr.ElizabethEckstrom,ageriatricianatOregonHealth&ScienceUniversity.“Mostoftheotherriskscanbemitigated.”
Herearesomemeasuresyoucantaketohelppreventafall.
Exercise!Dr.Lipsitzemphasizedtheimportanceofincorporatingexerciseintoadailyroutine.Hesuggestedatleast20minutesaday,combiningaerobicandanaerobicexercise.Weightlifting,particularlyforstrengtheningthelegs,isagoodidea,hesaid.
Taichi,theChinesemartialart,appearstobeaneffectivewaytoimprovebalance.Itinvolvesveryslow,purposefulmovementsincoordinationwithbreathingandmuscleactivity.
Astudypublishedlastyearfoundthatamongadultsover70whopracticedtaichitwiceaweekforanhour,theincidenceoffallswasreducedby58percent.Dr.Eckstrom,oneofthestudy’sauthors,saidtheparticipantsinthestudydidtaichitwiceaweekforanhouroverasix-monthperiod.
“Whenyoufall,yourbodyhasnotfiguredouthowtostayposturallystable,andtaichihelpswiththat,”Dr.Eckstromsaid.“Withalotoftheclassictaichimoves,youmakeafairlylargestepout,ortotheside.Oryouleanforward,withyourtrunk.You’reputtingyourselfinapositionofalmostfalling.”Allofthis,sheadded,trainsthebodytoremainstablewhenputinanoff-kilterposition.
TheCDCmaintainsacompendiumofrecommendedexercisesthatincludestaichi.
6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 3/5
MindyourmedsMedications,especiallythosethathelpwithsleep,cancompromisebalance.Dr.EckstromsaidbenzodiazepinessuchasValiumandXanaxareespeciallybad.
“Metabolismslowsinolderadults,sotoxicitytobenzosbuildsup,whichcancausedizziness,”shesaid.
Thesamegoesfornon-benzodiazepinessuchasAmbien.SedatingantihistaminessuchasBenadrylandAdvilPMarealsobadforbalance.
“Ifeverybodygotoffthesleepingpills,itwouldhelpalot,”Dr.Eckstromsaid.Asanalternative,sherecommendedmelatonintoherpatients,whichshecalledasafeandeffectivesleepaid.
Re-accessorizeEyesightisacrucialcomponentwhenitcomestofalls.Avoidbifocalorprogressivelenseswhenwalkingoutside.“Ifyou’rewearingbifocalsandsteppingdownoffacurb,thatchangesyourdepthperception,”saidMs.Burns,whorecommendsasingle-focuslensforwalkingoutside.
Ifadoctorprescribesawalker,useit.“Itwillallowyoutobemoreindependentforlonger,”Dr.ElizabethEckstrom,ageriatrician,said. RaminRahimianforTheNewYorkTimes
6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 4/5
Thenthere’sfootwear.Fashion,saidDr.Lipsitz,needstotakeabackseattofunction.“Nohighheels,”hesaid.Dr.Eckstromagreed.
Anythingthefootslidesintoisaterribleidea,shesaid:“Avoidcuteslide-insandals.”
Allshoesshouldhaveaback,andasolewithgoodtread.Slippers,too,canbebad.“Slippersmakeyouslip,”saidDr.Eckstrom.
Areyoutooproudtouseacaneorwalker?Getoverit.“Ifyourdoctorhasrecommendedawalker,useit,”Dr.Eckstromsaid.“Itwillallowyoutobemoreindependentforlonger.”
EliminatetrippinghazardsTheaccumulatedclutterofalifetimecanbelethal.Getridofsmallscatterrugsinyourhome,andeliminateextensioncordsthatstretchacrossafloor.
Petscanalsobeahazard.“It’ssoeasytotripoveryourpet,”saidDr.Eckstrom.
Takeacloserlookattheheightofthresholdsbetweenrooms;ittakesjustafractionofaninchtocauseatrip.Keepalightonatnightforvisualaccesstothebathroom.
EarlyandoftentothebathroomHydrationisagoodwaytofightdizziness.Drinkplentyofwaterthroughouttheday,saidDorothyBaker,aseniorresearchscientistingeriatricsattheYaleSchoolofMedicine.
“Don’twaituntilyou’redesperatetogotothebathroomandneedtorush,”Dr.Bakersaid.There’sabonustofrequentbathroomtrips,sheadded.“Doingthatsit-to-standisreallygoodexerciseandgoodforbalance.Doafewextraswhileyou’rethere.”
6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 5/5
AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonJune5,2019,onPageA16oftheNewYorkeditionwiththeheadline:RateofDeathFromaFallIsIncreasingRapidlyforAmericansOver75
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Astudyfoundthatforadultsover70whopracticedtaichitwiceaweekforanhour,theincidenceoffallswasreducedby58percent. HilarySwiftforTheNewYorkTimes
