Abstract
To investigate whether selected medical conditions increase an older person's risk of fall mortality, we analyzed 1985 multiple-cause-of-death data for persons aged 65 years or older. The 8,713 cases had a fall listed as the underlying cause of death; the 1,438,872 controls all had noninjury causes of death. Pulmonary embolism, syncope, and alcohol dependence syndrome were all strongly associated with fall deaths (prevalence odds ratio; POR = 11.7, 11.9, and 7.7, respectively). Osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, senile dementia, and acute myocardial infarction were moderately associated. The prevalence odds ratios for pulmonary embolism were greater for females than for males, and increased with age. Cases were more likely to have had a pulmonary embolism if they had a fracture of the femoral neck (prevalence odds ratio; 21.0), or other lower limb fracture. Unlike the other medical conditions studied, pulmonary embolism is likely to be a sequela rather than a precursor of a fall-related injury, and, thus, is potentially preventable after hospitalization.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 326-340 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Journal of Aging and Health |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1990 |
Fingerprint
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Sociology and Political Science
- Life-span and Life-course Studies
Cite this
Fall Mortality and Related Medical Conditions in the Elderly : The Association with Pulmonary Embolism. / Mendlein, James M.; Sattin, Richard Warren; Waxweiler, Richard J.; Lui, Kung Jong; McGee, Daniel L.
In: Journal of Aging and Health, Vol. 2, No. 3, 01.01.1990, p. 326-340.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Fall Mortality and Related Medical Conditions in the Elderly
T2 - The Association with Pulmonary Embolism
AU - Mendlein, James M.
AU - Sattin, Richard Warren
AU - Waxweiler, Richard J.
AU - Lui, Kung Jong
AU - McGee, Daniel L.
PY - 1990/1/1
Y1 - 1990/1/1
N2 - To investigate whether selected medical conditions increase an older person's risk of fall mortality, we analyzed 1985 multiple-cause-of-death data for persons aged 65 years or older. The 8,713 cases had a fall listed as the underlying cause of death; the 1,438,872 controls all had noninjury causes of death. Pulmonary embolism, syncope, and alcohol dependence syndrome were all strongly associated with fall deaths (prevalence odds ratio; POR = 11.7, 11.9, and 7.7, respectively). Osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, senile dementia, and acute myocardial infarction were moderately associated. The prevalence odds ratios for pulmonary embolism were greater for females than for males, and increased with age. Cases were more likely to have had a pulmonary embolism if they had a fracture of the femoral neck (prevalence odds ratio; 21.0), or other lower limb fracture. Unlike the other medical conditions studied, pulmonary embolism is likely to be a sequela rather than a precursor of a fall-related injury, and, thus, is potentially preventable after hospitalization.
AB - To investigate whether selected medical conditions increase an older person's risk of fall mortality, we analyzed 1985 multiple-cause-of-death data for persons aged 65 years or older. The 8,713 cases had a fall listed as the underlying cause of death; the 1,438,872 controls all had noninjury causes of death. Pulmonary embolism, syncope, and alcohol dependence syndrome were all strongly associated with fall deaths (prevalence odds ratio; POR = 11.7, 11.9, and 7.7, respectively). Osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, senile dementia, and acute myocardial infarction were moderately associated. The prevalence odds ratios for pulmonary embolism were greater for females than for males, and increased with age. Cases were more likely to have had a pulmonary embolism if they had a fracture of the femoral neck (prevalence odds ratio; 21.0), or other lower limb fracture. Unlike the other medical conditions studied, pulmonary embolism is likely to be a sequela rather than a precursor of a fall-related injury, and, thus, is potentially preventable after hospitalization.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0025160477&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0025160477&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/089826439000200303
DO - 10.1177/089826439000200303
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0025160477
VL - 2
SP - 326
EP - 340
JO - Journal of Aging and Health
JF - Journal of Aging and Health
SN - 0898-2643
IS - 3
ER -