Falls in the elderly - I. Identification of risk factors

Falls severely threaten the health of elderly persons and pose high costs t o the public health service, Unfortunately, falls are often regarded as una voidable and untreatable features of aging. Therefore, many clinicians mere ly treat the physical injuries of a fall. However, falls and gait limitatio ns are markers of under-lying (sometimes otherwise subclinical) diseases th at can be amenable to treatment. Moreover, falls and gait limitations heral d the onset of repeated falls, physical decline, serious psychosocial conse quences and a reduced survival. We review how clinically relevant risk fact ors can be traced by reviewing the medical notes, by careful history taking and by physical examination. The identified risk factors can serve as a te mplate for the design of prevention strategies, which are discussed in the companion article.