ORs were generally higher for recurrent fallers than for all fallers .
This meta- analysis provides comprehensive evidence -based assessment of risk factors for falls in older people , confirming their multifactorial etiology .
Some nonspecific indicators of high baseline risk were also strong predictors of the risk of falling
BACKGROUND Falls are the main cause of accidental death in persons aged 65 years or older .
Higher 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations associated with lower fall rates in older community-dwelling women
Introduction The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of vitamin D supplementation and serum concentrations of vitamin D metabolites and parathyroid hormone ( PTH ) with neuromuscular function and falls in older community-dwelling women . Methods We examined these relationships using a 4-year prospect i ve multi-center study among 9,526 community-dwelling women enrolled in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures ( median age : 70 years ; interquartile range : 67–75 ) and a subset of 389 women ( 97 % ) out of 400 who were r and omly selected from the entire cohort for serum measures . Measurements included :  vitamin D supplementation , serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [ 25(OH)D3 ] , serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [ 1,25(OH ) 2D3 ] , and serum intact parathyroid hormone ( iPTH ) ; grip and quadriceps strength , chair-st and time , walking speed , reaction time , and balance-walk time ( including changes in grip strength , chair-st and time , walking speed and balance-walk time over approximately 3.7 years ) ; and incident fall rates ( number of falls/woman-years ) . Results In 9,526 women , vitamin D supplementation was not associated with any measures of neuromuscular function , change in neuromuscular function , or fall rates ( p>0.01 for all ) . In a subgroup of 389 women , there was a trend of higher 25(OH)D3 concentration with slightly weaker grip strength ( p=0.007 ) , and women in the fourth quartile of 1,25(OH)2D3 had a faster chair-st and time ( p=0.017 ) than women in the first quartile ; still , in general , concentrations of 25(OH)D3 , 1,25(OH)2D3 , and iPTH were not associated with either neuromuscular function or changes in neuromuscular function ( p>0.05 for all ) . However , higher 1,25(OH)2D3 concentration was associated with lower fall rates ( p=0.039 ) . Conclusions Higher 1,25(OH)2D3 concentration is associated with a lower fall risk in older community-dwelling women , but vitamin D supplementation , and 25(OH)D3 and iPTH concentrations are not associated with either neuromuscular function or falls
ORs were generally higher for recurrent fallers than for all fallers .
This meta- analysis provides comprehensive evidence -based assessment of risk factors for falls in older people , confirming their multifactorial etiology .
Some nonspecific indicators of high baseline risk were also strong predictors of the risk of falling
BACKGROUND Falls are the main cause of accidental death in persons aged 65 years or older .