JAMA Netw Open

Falls in older adults may portend dementia diagnosis

October 3, 2024

Older adults who suffer falls are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) within a year compared with those who experience other types of injuries.

This retrospective cohort study analyzed Medicare claims data from 2014 to 2015 to identify adults ≥66 years of age who had a traumatic injury leading to an ED or inpatient encounter, excluding those with preexisting dementia. Study outcome was the incidence of new ADRD diagnoses within one year.

Of 2,453,655 eligible patients (mean age, 78.1 years; 62.1% female), 50% of injuries resulted from falls. Within one year, 10.6% of those who fell were diagnosed with ADRD, compared with 6.1% with other injuries (P < .001). The unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for dementia diagnosis after a fall was 1.63, and 1.21 after adjusting for confounders. Among those without recent skilled nursing facility admissions, the adjusted HR was 1.27 (P < 0.001).

Source:

Ordoobadi AJ, et al. (2024, September 3). JAMA Netw Open. Risk of Dementia Diagnosis After Injurious Falls in Older Adults. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39348117/