Elderly women with chronic diseases are more likely to have a fall, according to a new study.

Elderly women with chronic diseases are more likely to have a fall, according to a new study.
It's often believed that the number of drugs that elderly people take is linked to the risk of having a fall. However, a study from the University of Bristol, sheds a different light on this matter. They studied a group of over 4,000 women aged 60 to 79 years, asking who had had a fall - or falls - in the previous twelve months, and whether they had received medical attention.

Nearly three quarters of the women had at least one chronic disease and this was found to increase of having a fall. Circulatory disease, lung disease, depression and arthritis were all found to increase the risk of falling. But the number of drugs being taken did not increase the risk - except for antidepressants and sedatives, which did increase the likelihood of falling slightly. This suggests that in terms of preventing falls, prevention and control of chronic disease may be the key to a successful strategy.

Source

British Medical Journal 27th September 2003