Suffering a fall from this age can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 20%, study finds

A STUDY has found that suffering from a fall at this age could increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 20%. 

Around one million people in Spain currently suffer from Alzheimer’s, a number which is expected to grow as the population ages. 

It is not always easy to predict risk, with a variety of causes uncovered by research. 

Now, a study has found that adults who suffer traumatic injuries as a result of a fall are up to 20% more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

Published by JAMA Network Open, the research found that 10% of older adults who had suffered traumatic injuries were diagnosed with dementia within a year. 

Compared to other injuries, those who suffered falls were 21% more likely to receive a dementia diagnosis. 

The average age when people fell was 78 years and affected females more than males. 

In general, adults over 65 years of age who suffered traumatic injuries after a fall had an increased risk of cognitive decline.

It is thought this is due to direct damage to brain cells caused through repetitive head injuries. 

However, it is also true that a loss of motor skills is a typical symptom of diseases like Alzheimer’s, so it’s unclear which is the cause and which is the effect. 

References

Alexander J. Ordoobadi, Hiba Dhanani, Samir R. Tulebaev et al. Risk of Dementia Diagnosis After Injurious Falls in Older Adults. JAMA Network Open (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.36606