Prevalence of Falls and Fractures in Alzheimer's Patients Compared to General Population

Kapeel Dev; Alizay Javed; Priya Bai; Murlidhar; Sidra Memon; Owais Alam; Zoha Batool

doi:10.7759/cureus.12923

Prevalence of Falls and Fractures in Alzheimer's Patients Compared to General Population

Cureus. 2021 Jan 26;13(1):e12923. doi: 10.7759/cureus.12923.

Authors

Kapeel Dev¹, Alizay Javed², Priya Bai³, Murlidhar⁴, Sidra Memon⁵, Owais Alam⁵, Zoha Batool²

Affiliations

¹ Internal Medicine, Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, Sukkur, PAK.
² Internal Medicine, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, PAK.
³ Internal Medicine, People's University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women, Nawabshah, PAK.
⁴ Internal Medicine, Chandka Medical College, Larkana, PAK.
⁵ Internal Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, PAK.

Abstract

Introduction Alzheimer's disease (AD), found in the aging elderly population, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to worsening memory loss and cognitive impairment. Falls and fractures are common in the overall elderly population. Hence, the purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of falls and fractures in Alzheimer's patients compared to the general population. Methodology This longitudinal study was conducted at the neurology outpatient department (OPD) in a tertiary healthcare setup in Pakistan from November 2019 till April 2020. Previously confirmed diagnosed Alzheimer's patients from neurology OPD were included in one group. Equal number of gender and age-matched healthy participants were included in the reference group. Participants were followed for 12 months to determine the incidence of falls and non-vertebral fractures. Results The incidence of fall was significant in the Alzheimer group compared to the reference group (22.8% vs. 10.9%; relative risk (RR): 2.08; P-value: 0.01). Fractures were also significantly more common in the Alzheimer group compared to the reference group (12.8% vs. 5.1%; RR: 2.51; P-value: 0.03). Conclusion This study demonstrated a higher incidence of falls and fractures in Alzheimer's patients compared to healthy non-Alzheimer individuals. Management of AD should include measures to reduce falls and fractures in addition to standard therapy.

Keywords: alzheimer’s; falls; fractures.