Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSWalking speed predicts falls risk
Measuring walking speed could be a simple way of predicting falls among older people, according to US research.
Older people were 50% more likely to be hospitalised with falls or fractures if they scored poorly on tests like walking pace.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, followed 3,011 healthy, able-bodied people between 70 and 80 years old for around five years.
The study suggests exercise routines to improve muscle strength and physical performance may reduce hospitalisations.
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Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2009) 57:1411 - 1419
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