Risk factors for falls in different age groups of patients with chronic cerebral ischaemia

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Abstract

Introduction. Cognitive impairment, gait and balance disorders are the most important risk factors for falls in older persons. These neurological impairments are the main clinical manifestations of chronic cerebral ischaemia (CCI), and can develop at a younger age.

Aim: to evaluate the risk factors for falls in patients with CCI in different age groups and to identify the most significant predictors of falls.

Materials and methods. We examined 104 patients with CCI. Patients were divided into three age groups: middle age (40–59 years old; n = 13), older age (60–74 years old; n = 62), and the elderly (75 years and older; n = 29). We assessed the frequency of falls and the presence of risk factors.

Results. Thirty-seven (36%) patients had a history of falls, with its incidence increasing from 8% in the middle-aged group to 37% in the older persons and 45% in the elderly. Some patients had multiple risk factors for falls, while the presence of 5 risk factors increased the risk of falling fourfold. The most common factors in middle age were pain due to degenerative spine conditions (85%), anxiety (54%), and visual impairment (31%); in older age – back pain (77%), cognitive impairment (45%), visual impairment (39%), and decreased walking speed (23%); in the elderly — visual impairment (76%), cognitive impairment (69%), back pain (69%), decreased walking speed (38%), and orthostatic hypotension (28%). Discriminant analysis revealed that the best predictors of falls in CCI were female sex, age over 69 years, depression, cognitive impairment, and a walking speed below 1 m/sec.

Conclusion. Falls were observed in all age groups of people with CCI. Not only the presence of a specific risk factor for falls, but the presence of multiple risk factors, has predictive value. The presence of five or more risk factors, as well as a walking speed below 1 m/sec, can indicate a high risk of falls.

About the authors

Lyudmila A. Geraskina

Research Center of Neurology

Author for correspondence.
Email: neurocor@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1253-1082

D. Sci. (Med.), leading researcher, Laboratory of cardioneurology, 2nd Neurological department, Institute of Clinical and Preventive Neurology

Russian Federation, Moscow

Amina A. Galaeva

Russian Gerontological Research and Clinical Center of N. I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University; Medical Institute of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

Email: g.amina01@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7543-1943

neurologist, Department of nervous diseases, Russian Gerontological Research and Clinical Center, postgraduate student, Department of nervous diseases and neurosurgery named after Yu.S. Martynov

Russian Federation, Moscow; Moscow

Rabiyat D. Sheikhova

Medical Institute of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

Email: neurocor@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2200-6502

postgraduate student, Department of nervous diseases and neurosurgery named after Yu.S. Martynov, Medical Institution

Russian Federation, Moscow

Andrey V. Fonyakin

Research Center of Neurology

Email: fonyakin@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5452-2152

D. Sci. (Med.), Prof., leading researcher, Head, Laboratory of cardioneurology, 2nd Neurological department, Institute of Clinical and Preventive Neurology

Russian Federation, Moscow

Marina Yu. Maksimova

Research Center of Neurology

Email: neurocor@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7682-6672

D. Sci. (Med.), Prof., Head, 2nd Neurological department, Institute of Clinical and Preventive Neurology

Russian Federation, Moscow

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Copyright (c) 2022 Geraskina L.A., Galaeva A.A., Sheikhova R.D., Fonyakin A.V., Maksimova M.Y.

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