Citation

Bowling CB, Muntner P, Bradbury BD, Kilpatrick RD, Isitt JJ, Warriner AH, Curtis JR, Judd S, Brown CJ, Allman RM, Warnock DG, McClellan W. Am. J. Med. Sci. 2013; 345(6): 446-454.

Affiliation

Birmingham/Atlanta Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (CBB, CJB, RMA), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama; Departments of Medicine (CBB, AHW, JRC, CJB, RMA, DGW) and Epidemiology (PM, JRC), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; Center for Observational Research (BDB, RDK, JJI), Amgen Inc, Thousand Oaks, California; Department of Epidemiology (BDB), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Biostatistics (SJ), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; and Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology (WM), Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/MAJ.0b013e3182638364

PMID

23328832

Abstract

BACKGROUND:: There are few data available on low hemoglobin and incident falls in the general U.S. population. METHODS:: Of 30,239 black and white U.S. adults ≥45 years in the population-based REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke study, 16,782 had hemoglobin measured at baseline and follow-up data on falls. Hemoglobin was categorized by 1.0 g/dL increments relative to the World Health Organization anemia threshold (<13.0 g/dL for men, <12.0 g/dL for women). Recurrent falls (≥2 falls in the 6 months after baseline) were assessed during a telephone interview. RESULTS:: Recurrent falls occurred in 3.9% of men and 4.8% of women. Compared with those with a hemoglobin level 1 to 2 g/dL above the anemia cut-off, multivariable adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for recurrent falls associated with hemoglobin levels ≥3, 2 to <3 and 0 to 1 g/dL above the cut-off point, and 0 to <1 and ≥1 g/dL below the cut-off point were 0.73 (0.45-1.19), 0.84 (0.57-1.24), 1.29 (0.88-1.90), 1.32 (0.0.80-1.2.18) and 2.12 (1.23-3.63), respectively, among men (linear trend P < 0.001), and 1.59 (1.10-2.3), 1.24 (0.95-1.62), 1.42(1.11-1.81), 1.28 (0.91-1.80) and 1.76 (1.13-2.74), respectively, among women (linear trend P = 0.45; quadratic trend P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS:: Among men, lower hemoglobin levels were associated with an increased risk for recurrent falls. Although our findings suggest an increased risk for recurrent falls at both lower and higher hemoglobin levels among women, these findings should be confirmed in subsequent studies.

Language: en