Personalized programs to prevent falls may make no difference
Personalized programs designed to reduce falls in older people may make no difference to how often people fall, according to the most comprehensive research review to date.
A new Cochrane review has concluded that personalized fall prevention programs for older adults may not make a significant difference in reducing falls or the risk of falling, compared to offering general falls advice or education. The review, titled "Multifactorial and multiple component interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community," found that these tailored programs only slightly reduced the rate of falls or the risk of falling again compared to usual medical care.
When compared to exercise, the effectiveness of the personalized programs was unclear. Falls are a major cause of injury and death among older people worldwide, with around one in three people over 65 experiencing at least one fall each year. The review examined various fall prevention methods, including single-type treatments like exercise, multifactorial programs that combine different treatments, and multicomponent treatments that include several risk factors.
While the tailored programs showed a small potential benefit over usual care, exercise and falls prevention education were found to be simpler and potentially more effective alternatives.
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