Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Medication-Related Falls in Older People pp 67–73Cite as

Age-Related Physical and Physiologic Changes and Comorbidities in Older People: Association with Falls

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

Several age-related changes that increase fall risk will be described. Changes in vision can result in impaired accuracy and sense of dimension. Changes in the vestibular system increase the response time to positional changes in older persons. Age-related muscle loss known as sarcopenia can lead to muscle weakness. The aging brain has a slower reaction time due to changes in intracerebral blood flow, neurotransmitter levels, cognitive impairment, and reductions in the neuron population. The heart and blood vessels become stiffer and the heart fills with blood more slowly. Stiffer arteries are less able to expand and results in increases in blood pressure. Orthostatic hypotension can be the result of the blunted vasoconstriction of stiffer blood vessels coupled with decreases in cardiac output. Medical comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, cerebrovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and chronic kidney disease can contribute to increased fall risk. Some comorbidities can involve changes in muscle mass (secondary sarcopenia) and calciotropic hormones leading to weaker muscles and bones.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Dagnelie G (2013) Age-related psychophysical changes and low vision. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 54:ORSF88–ORSF93

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Li Y, Wei X, Zhou J, Wei L (2013) The age-related changes in cartilage and osteoarthritis. Biomed Res Int 2013:916530

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Kohn JC, Lampi MC, Reinhart-King CA (2015) Age-related vascular stiffening: causes and consequences. Front Genet 6:112

    Google Scholar 

  4. Scherbakov N, Sandek A, Doehner W (2015) Stroke-related sarcopenia: specific characteristics. J Am Med Dir Assoc 16:272–276

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Sturnieks DL, St George R, Lord SR (2008) Balance disorders in the elderly. Neurophysiol Clin 38:467–478

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Denic A, Glassock RJ, Rule AD (2016) Structural and functional changes with the aging kidney. Adv Chron Kidney Dis 23:19–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Malabu UH, Vangaveti VN, Kennedy RL (2014) Disease burden evaluation of fall-related events in the elderly due to hypoglycemia and other diabetic complications: a clinical review. Clin Epidemiol 6:287–294

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Vinik AI, Vinik EJ, Colberg SR, Morrison S (2015) Falls risk in older adults with type 2 diabetes. Clin Geriatr Med 31(1):89–99

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Coyne KS, Wein A, Nicholson S, Kvasz M, Chen CI, Milsom I (2013) Comorbidities and personal burden of urgency urinary incontinence: a systematic review. Int J Clin Pract 67:1015–1033

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Balducci L (2010) Anemia, fatigue and aging. Transfus Clin Biol 17:375–381

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Vu T, Finch CF, Day L (2011) Patterns of comorbidity in community-dwelling older people hospitalised for fall-related injury: a cluster analysis. BMC Geriatr 11:45

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Montero-Odasso M, Wells J, Borrie M (2009) Can cognitive enhancers reduce the risk of falls in people with dementia? An open-label study with controls. J Am Geriatr Soc 57:359–360

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Cook WL, Tomlinson G, Donaldson M, Markowitz SN, Naglie G, Sobolev B, Jassal SV (2006) Falls and fall-related injuries in older dialysis patients. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 1:1197–1204

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Nelson JM (2001) Vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly. A major contributor to falls. Adv Nurse Pract 9:39–41

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kuritzky L, Espay AJ, Gelblum J, Payne R, Dietrich E (2015) Diagnosing and treating neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in primary care. Postgrad Med 127(7):702–715

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Amboni M, Barone P, Hausdorff JM (2013) Cognitive contributions to gait and falls: evidence and implications. Mov Disord 28(11):1520–1533

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Phu S, Boersma D, Duque G (2015) Exercise and sarcopenia. J Clin Densitom 18:488–492

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Johnson K, Suriyaarachchi P, Kakkat M, Boersma D, Gunawardene P, Demontiero O, Tannenbaum C, Duque G (2015) Yield and cost-effectiveness of laboratory testing to identify metabolic contributors to falls and fractures in older persons. Arch Osteoporos 10:226

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Huo YR, Suriyaarachchi P, Gomez F, Curcio CL, Boersma D, Gunawardene P, Demontiero O, Duque G (2015) Comprehensive nutritional status in sarco-osteoporotic older fallers. J Nutr Health Aging 19:474–480

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Huo YR, Suriyaarachchi P, Gomez F, Curcio CL, Boersma D, Muir SW, Montero-Odasso M, Gunawardene P, Demontiero O, Duque G (2015) Phenotype of osteosarcopenia in older individuals with a history of falling. J Am Med Dir Assoc 16:290–295

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Sanders KM, Scott D, Ebeling PR (2014) Vitamin D deficiency and its role in muscle-bone interactions in the elderly. Curr Osteoporos Rep 12:74–81

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Melbourne Medical School – Western Campus, The University of Melbourne and Western Health, 176 Furlong Road, St. Albans, Melbourne, VIC, 3021, Australia

    Gustavo Duque MD, PhD, FRACP

Authors
  1. Gustavo Duque MD, PhD, FRACP
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gustavo Duque MD, PhD, FRACP .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital, Head, Division of Geriatric Medicine University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hosp, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    Allen R. Huang

  2. Head, Faculty of Pharmacy Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    Louise Mallet

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Duque, G. (2016). Age-Related Physical and Physiologic Changes and Comorbidities in Older People: Association with Falls. In: Huang, A., Mallet, L. (eds) Medication-Related Falls in Older People. Adis, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32304-6_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32304-6_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Adis, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-32302-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-32304-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation