Elderly with diabetes run risk of falling

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Diabetes may substantially
raise the risk of falls among elderly adults living in nursing
homes, new research shows.

In a study of 139 nursing home residents, researchers at
Columbia University in New York found that men and women with
diabetes were four times more likely than those without the
disease to suffer a fall — a major cause of disability and
death among the elderly.

In all, 78 percent of diabetic residents fell during the
study period, compared with 30 percent of those without
diabetes.

The findings are published in the Journal of Gerontology.

“It’s not really surprising that diabetes is such a potent
risk factor,” Dr. Mathew S. Maurer, the study’s lead author,
told Reuters Health.

That’s because a number of diabetes-related complications
would be expected to contribute to falls, he explained. One
example is diabetic retinopathy, which damages the blood
vessels that supply the retina and can impair vision. Also,
diabetic nerve damage that causes sudden blood pressure drops
upon standing could also trigger dizziness and falls.

However, Maurer and his colleagues did not find a higher
rate of such blood pressure changes among nursing home
residents who fell. Nor were vision problems clearly linked to
fall risk.

Maurer speculated that peripheral neuropathy — nerve
damage that affects sensation in the feet and may throw off
balance — could be the main source of diabetics’ elevated fall
risk. But for now, he said, the reasons are not fully clear.

What does seem clear, according to the researcher, is that
diabetes should be considered a major risk factor for falls
among the elderly. Knowing this, Maurer said, can help nursing
homes identify residents who need special care to reduce their
odds of suffering a fall.

SOURCE: Journal of Gerontology, September 2005.