@article{ref1,
title="Falls and Fall-Related Injury Are Common in Older People with Chronic Liver Disease",
journal="Digestive diseases and sciences",
year="2012",
author="Frith, James and Kerr, Simon and Robinson, Lisa and Elliott, Chris S. and Wilton, Katharine and Jones, David E. J. and Day, Christopher P. and Newton, Julia L.",
volume="57",
number="10",
pages="2697-2702",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Improved survival with chronic liver disease (CLD) and increased incidence in the older has led to a rapidly expanding population which faces similar &quot;geriatric syndromes&quot; as the general population. With risk factors such as autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and muscle abnormalities in CLD it is expected that falls and injury will be common. AIM: To determine prevalence of falls and injury in chronic liver disease and to identify potential modifiable fall associations. METHODS: Falls prevalence was estimated by providing patients aged ≥65 years with CLD a falls data collection tool, via the post or in the clinic. A younger CLD cohort and age-matched and sex-matched community controls was used for comparison. A sub-group underwent multidisciplinary falls assessment to identify modifiable fall associations. RESULTS: Falls were significantly more common in older people with CLD (47 % in previous year) than in controls; incidence of injury did not differ. Regression identified orthostatic symptoms, lower-limb strength, and fear of falling as being independently associated with falls in CLD. Those who had fallen had significantly greater difficulty with daily activities. CONCLUSION: Falls are prevalent in older people with CLD, and are potentially preventable with multifactorial intervention. Services must prepare for expansion in the older CLD population; here we demonstrate how this expansion may affect falls services and provide a potential therapeutic target.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0163-2116",
doi="10.1007/s10620-012-2193-5",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10620-012-2193-5"
}