Exercise, vitamin D may prevent falls: guidelines

Older adults who
are at high risk of falls should have physical therapy and take vitamin D
supplements to reduce their chance of injury, according to new
recommendations from a government-backed panel.
Falling is "a common problem
and it's often overlooked because doctors may not be aware of their
patients' fall risk," said Dr. Albert Siu, a professor at Mount Sinai
School of Medicine in New York and vice co-chair of the U.S. Preventive
Services Task Force (USPSTF), which came out with the recommendations on
Monday."By asking about falls and
by observing the patient in terms of walking, we might be able to asses
who might be at risk and who can benefit from preventive measures," Siu
told Reuters Health.Falls are a leading cause of injury among older adults, he added.According
to the new guidelines, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 30
to 40 percent of people age 65 or older fall at least once each year,
and five to 10 percent of them will have a serious injury such as a hip
fracture.The USPSTF makes
recommendations on a range of prevention and treatment issues, and its
guidelines on reducing the risk of falls in the elderly had not been
updated since 1996.There has been
considerable research done since then on what seniors can do to prevent
falls -- and what doesn't seem to work. For instance, correcting vision,
wearing a shield called a hip protector, stopping some medications or
taking protein supplements do not reduce the risk that someone will have
a fall, according to the guidelines.Vitamin
D, exercise and physical therapy, however, are moderately beneficial,
reducing the risk of falling by 13 to 17 percent (see Reuters Health
report of December 21, 2010).

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