Nutritional Status, Body Mass Index, and the Risk of Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

• Objectives: To evaluate the association between nutritional status, defined on the basis of a multidimensional evaluation, and body mass index (BMI) with the risk of falls and recurrent falls in communitydwelling older people.Design: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis.Setting and Participants: Community-dwelling older adults.Measures: A systematic literature review was conducted on prospective studies identified through electronic and hand searches until October 2017. A random effects meta-analysis was used to evaluate the relative risk (RR) of experiencing falls and recurrent falls (>= 2 falls within at least 6 months) on the basis of nutritional status, defined by multidimensional scores. A random effects dose-response metaanalysis was used to evaluate the association between BMI and the risk of falls and recurrent falls.Results: People who were malnourished or those at risk for malnutrition had a pooled 45% higher risk of experiencing at least 1 fall than were those well-nourished (9510 subjects). Increased falls risk was observed in subjects malnourished versus well-nourished [RR 1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.182.28; 3 studies, 8379 subjects], whereas no substantial results were observed for risk of recurrent falls. A U-shaped association was detected between BMI and the risk for falls (P <. 001), with the nadir between 24.5 and 30 (144,934 subjects). Taking a BMI of 23.5 as reference, the pooled RR of falling ranged between 1.09 (95% CI 1.04-1.15) for a BMI of 17, to 1.07 (95% CI 0.92-1.24) for a BMI of 37.5. No associations were observed between BMI and recurrent falls (120,185 subjects).Conclusions/Implications: The results of our work suggest therefore that nutritional status and BMI should be evaluated when assessing the risk for falls in older age.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Geriatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Geriatrics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Malnutrition

body mass index

accidental falls

meta-analysis

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