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Multi-sensory training and wrist fractures: a randomized, controlled trial.
Baldursdottir, B, Whitney, SL, Ramel, A, Jonsson, PV, Mogensen, B, Petersen, H, Kristinsdottir, EK
Aging clinical and experimental research. 2020;(1):29-40
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Asymmetric vestibular function, decreased plantar sensation, postural control and functional ability have been associated with fall-related wrist fractures. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether multi-sensory training (MST) improves postural control, vestibular function, foot sensation and functional ability among people with fall-related wrist fractures compared to wrist stabilization training (WT). METHODS This was an assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Ninety-eight participants, age 50-75 years, were randomized to MST or WT. Pre- and post-training measurements: Head Shake Test (HST), Video-Head Impulse Test (vHIT), Semmes-Weinstein Monofilaments (SWF), Biothesiometer (BT), Sensory Organization Test (SOT), 10-m Walk Test (10MWT), Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSTS), Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) and Dizziness Handicap Inventory Scales (DHI). The training period was 12 weeks, with six supervised sessions by a physical therapist and daily home exercises for both groups. RESULTS There were significant endpoint differences in SOT (p = 0.01) between the two groups, in favor of the MST group, but no changes were seen in other outcome variables. Subgroup analysis with participants below normal baseline SOT composite scores indicated that the MST was more effective in improving 10MWT fast (p = 0.04), FTSTS (p = 0.04), SWF (p = 0.04) and SOT scores (p = 0.04) than the WT. CONCLUSIONS MST improves postural control among people with a fall-related wrist fracture. The results further suggest that the program is more effective for those with SOT balance scores below age-related norms.
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Prevention and management of osteoporotic fractures by non-physician health professionals: a systematic literature review to inform EULAR points to consider.
Wilson, N, Hurkmans, E, Adams, J, Bakkers, M, Balážová, P, Baxter, M, Blavnsfeldt, AB, Briot, K, Chiari, C, Cooper, C, et al
RMD open. 2020;(1)
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To perform a systematic literature review (SLR) about the effect of non-pharmacological interventions delivered by non-physician health professionals to prevent and manage osteoporotic fractures. METHODS Eight clinical questions based on two criteria guided the SLR: (1) adults≥50 years at high risk of osteoporotic fracture and (2) interventions delivered by non-physician health professionals to prevent and manage osteoporotic fractures. Interventions focused on diagnostic procedures to identify risk of falling, therapeutic approaches and implementation strategies. Outcomes included fractures, falls, risk of falling and change in bone mineral density. Systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials were preferentially selected. Data were synthesised using a qualitative descriptive approach. RESULTS Of 15 917 records, 43 articles were included. Studies were clinically and methodologically diverse. We identified sufficient evidence that structured exercise, incorporating progressive resistance training delivered to people who had undergone hip fracture surgery, and multicomponent exercise, delivered to people at risk of primary fracture, reduced risk of falling. The effectiveness of multidisciplinary fracture liaison services in reducing refracture rate was confirmed. There was insufficient evidence found to support the effectiveness of nutrients and falls prevention programmes in this patient population. CONCLUSION Despite study heterogeneity, our SLR showed beneficial effects of some interventions delivered by non-physician health professionals and the positive impact of multidisciplinary team working and patient educational approaches to prevent and manage osteoporotic fractures. These results informed a EULAR taskforce that developed points to consider for non-physician health professionals to prevent and manage osteoporotic fractures.
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Autonomic function, postprandial hypotension and falls in older adults at one year after critical illness.
Ali Abdelhamid, Y, Weinel, LM, Hatzinikolas, S, Summers, M, Nguyen, TAN, Kar, P, Phillips, LK, Horowitz, M, Deane, AM, Jones, KL
Critical care and resuscitation : journal of the Australasian Academy of Critical Care Medicine. 2020;(1):53-62
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Postprandial hypotension occurs frequently in older survivors of critical illness at 3 months after discharge. We aimed to determine whether postprandial hypotension and its predictors - gastric dysmotility and cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction - persist or resolve as older survivors of critical illness recover, and whether postprandial hypotension after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge is associated with adverse outcomes at 12 months. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING Tertiary medical-surgical ICU. PARTICIPANTS Older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) who had been studied 3 months after ICU discharge and who returned for a follow-up study at 12 months after discharge. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES On both occasions after fasting overnight, participants consumed a 300 mL drink containing 75 g glucose, radiolabelled with 20 MBq 99mTcphytate. Blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose concentration and gastric emptying rate were measured concurrently before and after ingestion of the drink. Falls, quality of life, hospitalisation and mortality rates were also quantified. RESULTS Out of 35 older adults studied at 3 months, 22 returned for the follow-up study at 12 months. Postprandial hypotension was evident in 29% of participants (95% CI, 14-44%) at 3 months and 10% of participants (95% CI, 1-30%) at 12 months. Postprandial hypotension at 3 months was associated with a more than threefold increase in the risk of falls in the year after ICU discharge (relative risk, 3.7 [95% CI, 1.6-8.8]; P = 0.003). At 12 months, gastric emptying was normal (mean time taken for 50% of gastric contents to empty, 101.6 [SD, 33.3] min) and cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction prevalence was low (9% [95% CI, 1-29%]). CONCLUSIONS In older adults who were evaluated 3 and 12 months after ICU discharge, postprandial hypotension at 3 months was associated with an increased risk of subsequent falls, but the prevalence of postprandial hypotension decreased with time.
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Effects of Exercise-Based Interventions on Fall Risk and Balance in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.
Delbressine, JM, Vaes, AW, Goërtz, YM, Sillen, MJ, Kawagoshi, A, Meijer, K, Janssen, DJA, Spruit, MA
Journal of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and prevention. 2020;(3):152-163
Abstract
PURPOSE Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent disease characterized by airflow limitation and is associated with decreased balance and increased fall risk. Since falls are related to increased mortality, interventions targeting balance and fall risk could reduce morbidity and mortality. The objective of this review was to systematically assess the effects of exercise-based interventions on fall risk and balance in patients with COPD. METHODS PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and CINAHL were screened for randomized controlled trails and within-group studies evaluating effects of exercise-based interventions on fall risk or balance in patients with COPD. Data were presented in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. RESULTS Fifteen studies were identified, 6 randomized controlled trails and 9 within-group studies. All interventions reported positive effects on balance outcomes. No studies reported fall risk. Taking current recommendations of balance outcome measures in patients with COPD into account, pulmonary rehabilitation combined with balance training had the highest effect size. Nine papers had concerns regarding bias, mostly due to the lack of blinding outcome assessors. CONCLUSIONS Exercise-based interventions have a positive effect on balance in patients with COPD. Pulmonary rehabilitation with balance training seems to have the most beneficial effect on balance. The effects on fall risk, as well as the long-term intervention effects remain unclear. A standardized balance assessment and research on long-term effects and fall risk are recommended.
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Barriers and Facilitators to Older Adults Participating in Fall-Prevention Strategies After Transitioning Home from Acute Hospitalization: A Scoping Review.
Tzeng, HM, Okpalauwaekwe, U, Lyons, EJ
Clinical interventions in aging. 2020;:971-989
Abstract
PURPOSE Approximately, 14% of older adults aged 65 years and over experience a fall within 1 month post-hospital discharge. Adequate self-management may minimize the impact of these falls; however, research is lacking on why some older adults engage in self-management to prevent falls while others do not. METHODS We conducted a scoping review to identify barriers and facilitators to older adults participating in fall-prevention strategies after transitioning home from acute hospitalization. Eligibility criteria were peer-reviewed journal articles published during 2009-2019 which were written in English and contained any of the following keywords or their synonyms: "fall-prevention," "older adults," "post-discharge" and "transition care." We systematically and selectively summarized the findings of these articles using the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. Seven bibliographic databases were searched: PubMed/MEDLINE, ERIC, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. We used the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model of health behavior change as a framework to guide the content, thematic analysis, and descriptive results. RESULTS Seventeen articles were finally selected. The most frequently mentioned barriers and facilitators for each COM-B dimension differed. Motivation factors include such as older adults lacking inner drive and self-denial of being at risk for falls (barriers) and following-up with older adults and correcting inaccurate perceptions of falls and fall-prevention strategies (facilitators). CONCLUSION This scoping review revealed gaps and future research areas in fall prevention relative to behavioral changes. These findings may enable tailoring feasible fall-prevention interventions for older adults after transitioning home from acute hospitalization.
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Vitamin D supplement on prevention of fall and fracture: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Thanapluetiwong, S, Chewcharat, A, Takkavatakarn, K, Praditpornsilpa, K, Eiam-Ong, S, Susantitaphong, P
Medicine. 2020;(34):e21506
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Vitamin D supplement is one of the current possible interventions to reduce fall and fracture. Despite having several studies on vitamin D supplement and fall and fracture reductions, the results are still inconclusive. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effect of vitamin D supplement in different forms and patient settings on fall and fracture. METHODS A systematic literature research was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the effects of vitamin D supplements on fall and fracture outcomes. Random-effect models were used to compute the weighted mean difference for continuous variables and the risk ratio for binary variables. RESULTS Forty-seven RCTs with 58,424 participants were identified reporting on fall outcome. Twenty-four of 47 studies with 40,102 subjects also reported fracture outcome. Major populations were elderly women with age less than 80 years. Overall, vitamin D supplement demonstrated a significant effect on fall reduction, RR = 0.948 (95% CI 0.914-0.984; P = .004, I = 41.52). By subgroup analyses, only vitamin D with calcium supplement significantly reduce fall incidence, RR = 0.881 (95% CI 0.821-0.945; P < .001, I = 49.19). Vitamin D3 supplement decreased incidence of fall but this occurred only when vitamin D3 was supplemented with calcium. Regarding fracture outcome, vitamin D supplement failed to show fracture lowering benefit, RR = 0.949 (95% CI 0.846-1.064; P = .37, I = 37.92). Vitamin D along with calcium supplement could significantly lower fracture rates, RR = 0.859 (95% CI 0.741-0.996; P = .045, I = 25.48). CONCLUSIONS The use of vitamin D supplement, especially vitamin D3 could reduce incidence of fall. Only vitamin D with calcium supplement showed benefit in fracture reduction.
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Malnutrition at Admission Predicts In-Hospital Falls in Hospitalized Older Adults.
Ishida, Y, Maeda, K, Nonogaki, T, Shimizu, A, Yamanaka, Y, Matsuyama, R, Kato, R, Mori, N
Nutrients. 2020;(2)
Abstract
Malnutrition leads to poor prognoses, including a predisposition to falls. Few studies have investigated the relationship between malnutrition and falls during hospitalization. This study aimed to determine malnutrition's association with falls during hospitalization. A retrospective observational study was conducted. Patients aged ≥65 years that were admitted to and discharged from a university hospital between April 2018 and March 2019 were examined. Patients with independent basic activities of daily living were included. Diagnosis of malnutrition was based on the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) criteria at admission. Disease information such as the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and reasons for hospitalization were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier curve and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed. Data from 6081 patients (mean age: 74.4 ± 6.1 years; males: 58.1%) were analyzed. The mean CCI was 2.3 ± 2.8 points. Malnutrition was detected in 668 (11.0%) and falls occurred in 55 (0.9%) patients. Malnourished patients experienced a higher fall rate than those without malnutrition (2.4% vs. 0.7%, log-rank test p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, malnutrition had the highest hazard ratio for falls among covariates (hazard ratio 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.51-5.00, p = 0.001). In conclusion, malnutrition at the time of admission to hospital predicts in-hospital falls.
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Fall Prevention and Anti-Osteoporosis in Osteopenia Patients of 80 Years of Age and Older: A Randomized Controlled Study.
Zhou, J, Liu, B, Qin, MZ, Liu, JP
Orthopaedic surgery. 2020;(3):890-899
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Abstract
UNLABELLED To evaluate the effects of two fall-prevention and anti-osteoporotic protocols in elderly patients with osteopenia (OPA). METHODS The present randomized controlled study included patients with OPA (n =123). The age of these patients was ≥80 years old, with the mean age of 83.54 ± 2.99 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 2.97:1.00. Fall-prevention guidance was given to all patients. Patients in the experiment group (n = 62) orally received 600 mg/d of calcium carbonate, 0.5 μg/d of alfacalcidol, and 70 mg/week of alendronate, while patients in the control group (n = 61) orally received 600 mg/d of calcium carbonate and 0.5 μg/d of alfacalcidol for 18 months. The grip strength, gait speed, bone turnover markers, serum calcium, serum phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and bone mineral density were measured, and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the chair rising test (CRT) were performed. Falls, fragility fractures, medication compliance, and side effects of the drugs were recorded. RESULTS The serum levels of bone turnover markers (type I procollagen amino-terminal peptide [P1NP], type I collagen carboxyl terminal peptide [β-CTx], and osteocalcin [OC]) decreased, while the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and bilateral femoral neck increased after treatment in the experiment group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The rate of change in bone mineral density of the bilateral femoral neck was higher in the experiment group than the control group (3.43% vs 0.03%, P < 0.05; 2.86% vs -0.02%, P < 0.01). After treatment, the proportion of patients with increased hip T scores in the experiment group (66.1%, 41/62) was significantly higher than the proportion (35.0%, 21/60) in the control group (P = 0.001). The incidence of fall decreased in both groups after treatment compared to that before treatment (54.8% vs 33.9% and 54.1% vs 36.7%, respectively; P < 0.05). The incidence of fragility fractures was lower in the experiment group than the control group (8.1% vs 20.0%, P = 0.057). During the intervention period, the incidence of fragility fractures in patients who did not fall (3.8%, 3/79) was significantly lower than that in patients who fell (32.6%, 14/43) (P = 0.000). The risk of fragility fractures was significantly lower in patients who did not fall compared to patients who fell (relative risk: 0.117, 95% confidence interval: 0.035-0.384). CONCLUSION The combination of alendronate sodium with alfacalcidol and calcium can significantly improve the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and femoral neck. For older patients with OPA, subjectively paying attention to avoiding falls can significantly reduce the risk of fragility fractures.
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Risk factors for mortality in elderly haemodialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Song, YH, Cai, GY, Xiao, YF, Chen, XM
BMC nephrology. 2020;(1):377
Abstract
BACKGROUND Older haemodialysis patients accompany a high burden of functional impairment, limited life expectancy, and healthcare utilization. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate how various risk factors influenced the prognosis of haemodialysis patients in late life, which might contribute to decision making by patients and care providers. METHODS PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central were searched systematically for studies evaluating the risk factors for mortality in elderly haemodialysis patients. Twenty-eight studies were included in the present systematic review. The factors included age, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, type of vascular access, dialysis initiation time, nutritional status and geriatric impairments. Geriatric impairments included frailty, cognitive or functional impairment and falls. Relative risks with 95% confidence intervals were derived. RESULTS Functional impairment (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.20-1.75), cognitive impairment (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.32-1.62) and falls (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06-1.23) were significantly and independently associated with increased mortality in elderly haemodialysis patients. Low body mass index conferred a mortality risk (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.31-1.56) paralleling that of frailty as a marker of early death. The results also confirmed that the older (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.22-1.68) and sicker (in terms of Charlson comorbidity index) (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.35-1.50) elderly haemodialysis patients were, the more likely they were to die. In addition, increased mortality was associated with early-start dialysis (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01-1.37) and with the use of a central venous catheter (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.44-1.62). CONCLUSIONS Multiple factors influence the risk of mortality in elderly patients undergoing haemodialysis. Geriatric impairment is related to poor outcome. Functional/cognitive impairment and falls in elderly dialysis patients are strongly and independently associated with mortality.
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Improving Trip- and Slip-Resisting Skills in Older People: Perturbation Dose Matters.
Karamanidis, K, Epro, G, McCrum, C, König, M
Exercise and sport sciences reviews. 2020;(1):40-47
Abstract
Aging negatively affects balance recovery responses after trips and slips. We hypothesize that older people can benefit from brief treadmill-based trip and slip perturbation exposure despite reduced muscular capacities, but with neuropathology, their responsiveness to these perturbations will be decreased. Thus, to facilitate long-term benefits and their generalizability to everyday life, one needs to consider the individual threshold for perturbation dose.