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Since falling is associated with serious morbidity among elderly people,we investigated whether the risk of falling could be reduced by modifying known risk factors.We studied 301 men and women living in the community who were at least 70 years of age and who had at least one of the following risk factors for falling:postural hypotension;use of sedatives or the use of at least four prescription medications and impairment of arm or leg strength or range of motion,balance,ability to move safely from bed to chair or to the bathtub or toilet(transfer skills)or gait.The multiple- risk-factor intervention strategy resulted in a significant reduction in the risk of falling among elderly persons in the community.In addition,the proportion of persons who had the targeted risk factors for falling was reduced in the intervention group,as compared with the control group.Thus, risk factor modification may partially explain the reduction in the risk of falling. |
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