Abstract
BackgroundThe number of elderly people persons suffering from dizziness is substantial, and dizziness is a risk factor for falls and fractures. Fall-related fractures represent a major public health issue. Longitudinal studies can help find ways of predicting fall-related fractures among frail elderly persons with multisensory dizziness. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate whether different measures of balance, being male/female or admission to hospital, could predict fracture at a ten-year follow-up in patients suffering from multisensory dizziness.MethodsPatients who had participated in two earlier (ten years previous) dizziness studies were sought in the local health authority’s patient administrative system. Information was extracted regarding patient hospitalization, for fractures or for any other reason, during the ten-year period. Logistic regression was used to analyse the relations between clinical balance measures, vestibular rehabilitation, admission to hospital, sex, and fracture.ResultsThere was no difference between the group of patients with fracture and the group of patients without fracture, regarding balance measures at baseline or admission to hospital for reasons other than fracture. There was no difference between men and women in any of the measures.ConclusionsThis study did not identify any predictors of fracture. Thus, among frail elderly, attention to fall risk should be equally high regardless of patient history.
Highlights
The number of elderly people persons suffering from dizziness is substantial, and dizziness is a risk factor for falls and fractures
Impaired postural stability is common among elderly people with low-energy distal radius fractures [4], and asymmetric vestibular function is overrepresented in elderly persons with hip fractures [5] or wrist fractures [6, 7]
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether different measures of balance, being male/ female or admission to hospital, could predict fracture at a ten-year follow-up in patients suffering from multisensory dizziness
Summary
The number of elderly people persons suffering from dizziness is substantial, and dizziness is a risk factor for falls and fractures. Fall-related fractures represent a major public health issue. Longitudinal studies can help find ways of predicting fall-related fractures among frail elderly persons with multisensory dizziness. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether different measures of balance, being male/female or admission to hospital, could predict fracture at a ten-year follow-up in patients suffering from multisensory dizziness. Falls and fall-related accidents represent a major Swedish public health issue, accounting for 70% of all in-hospital treatments due to accidents [1]. The number of elderly people suffering from dizziness is substantial [9]. A typical feature of this condition is problems with walking [15]
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