Study Links Hypoglycemia To Increased Fall Risk in Elderly
Elderly individuals with diabetes are found to be more likely to have functional disabilities than those without.
A study Diabetes Care published in its September issue found that severe hypoglycemia is linked to a considerably higher risk for falls in community-dwelling adults who have type 2 diabetes.
San Francisco-based University of California's Alexandra Lee, Ph.D., together with her colleagues, utilized data from a study of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities to determine more than 1,000 participants with diabetes "visit 4" from 1996 to 1998. The study authors investigated the link between falls in and hypoglycemia participants.
ALSO READ: A Benefit of Exercise That You Probably Haven't Heard Much About
Study Findings
The study authors found that 149 of them ever had severe hypoglycemic occurrence either before the starting point or during the median of about 13 years of follow-up in more than a thousand participants.
In addition, the research also found that among the respondents who had no severe hypoglycemia, was two for every 100 person-years against the 8.81 for every 100-person years for people who have hypoglycemia.
Consequently, hypoglycemia was linked to a higher risk of falls in an adjustment assessment of 2.23 hazard ratios.
Researchers said their research findings were when investigating subgroups according to their race, body mass index or BMI, age, gender, duration of diabetes, or difficulty in their day-to-day activities.
In their study, the authors indicated that fall risk should be when glycemic treatment in elderly individuals is individualized.
According to researchers, examining the history and risk of hypoglycemia could improve multifactorial fall prevention for seniors with diabetes.
The Link between Hypoglycemia and Risk Fall
In a previous study, more than 20,000 individuals with hypoglycemia were compared to people who do not. As a result, hypoglycemic people were found to have higher fall-related occurrences within 30, 90, 180, and 365 days.
Also, in connection with the said research, the conditional logistic regression evaluations presented a raised risk of fall-related incidents for more than 365 days.
Subgroup evaluation presented that raised risk for patients whose age is below 75 years. Elevated risks were also found for individual fall-related results for "fractures, head injuries, long-term care placement, and hospital confinements."
DON'T MISS THIS: Coffee May Stop the Occurrence of Irregular Heartbeats, Research Says
Reason for Elevated Risk
Endocrinologists say, having diabetes increases the risk of falls as the condition can lead to physical damages that make a patient less steady on his feet.
An estimate shows that an individual with diabetes whose age is more than 65 years "is 17 times more likely to suffer a fall" compared to one who is younger and is not diabetic.
A separate study published a few years ago in PLOS One journal examined 198 type 2 diabetes patients to identify if "they had neuropathy," and classified its severity in people with "evidence of nerve impairment."
Researchers then assessed the balance and risk of falling of all participants along with several standard tests like measurement of the duration of the standing of each subject using one leg, or how well they were able to rise from their seat minus the use of their hands.
As a result, the study authors found, the subjects with neuropathy "had the worst balance." They were the ones with more severe nerve impairment, judged to have an increased risk for falls.
Furthermore, elderly individuals who had diabetes were more likely to have functional disabilities as well, compared to the others. Such disabilities include difficulty in climbing stairs or walking for more extended periods, among others.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Chocolate Cake for Breakfast to Lose Weight? Here's What You Need to Know
Check out more news and information on Aging and Diabetes on MD News Daily.
Sep 05, 2020 07:00 AM EDT
