The Patient Who Falls
Read full paper →- Authors
- Mary E. Tinetti, C. T. Sudhir Kumar
- Journal
- JAMA
- Year
- 2010
- Citations
- 983
TL;DR
Falls are a major health concern for older adults, and this review synthesizes evidence showing that addressing multiple personal risk factors simultaneously (like improving strength and balance, reviewing medications, and correcting vision) is the most effective strategy to reduce fall rates, while Vitamin D may help prevent fractures in at-risk older men.
What they tested
This article is a clinical review that synthesizes existing scientific evidence regarding falls in community-living older adults. It did not conduct a new experiment but rather summarized findings from other studies. Specifically, it examined:
**Predisposing factors for falls:** What makes older adults more likely to fall.
**Effective interventions:** Strategies and treatments designed to prevent falls.
**Specific interventions discussed:**
* Exercise and physical therapy programs.
* Cataract surgery.
* Medication reduction or adjustment.
* Multi-component interventions (combining several strategies).
* Vitamin D supplementation for fracture prevention.
The article implicitly compares these interventions against usual care or no intervention, drawing conclusions from the body of evidence it reviewed. The primary outcomes of interest across the reviewed studies would have been the rate of falling and, for Vitamin D, the incidence of fractures.
Who was studied
This article focuses on **community-living older adults**. This means