Article-Associations between obesity and overweight

Associations between obesity and overweight and fall risk, health status and quality of life in older people.

Mitchell RJ, Lord SR, Harvey LA, Close JC.

Aust N Z J Public Health. 2014 Feb;38(1):13-8. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12152.

PMID: 24494939

Article Summary:

Many researchers found that overweight and obesity rates among adults increased significantly worldwide. Obesity can cause a lot of damage of our body. However, there are no published studies examining whether overweight or obese individuals are more likely to be injured as a result of a fall than individuals of a healthy weight. The patient in my second H & P was brought into ER after falling. And the main reason of the falling is due to his obesity which makes it hard to walk or even stand up. Therefore, I found this article which aims to determine the relationship between individuals BMI and the risk of fall, as well the quality of life of fallers.

This article is a survey-based research including a large population-based data collection. More than 5,000 individuals aged 65 years and older was surveyed regarding their history of falls, height, weight, lifestyle and general health within a 12-month period. After analysis, the authors find out that compared to normal BMI individuals, obese individuals have 1) a higher falling risk; 2) higher risk of using four or more medication after fall due to their prior existing disorder;  and also 3) regarding the quality of life, higher risk of experiencing moderate or extreme pain or discomfort, as well the walking problem. In conclusions, obese individuals who are older than 65 years have an increased risk of falls and have a higher prevalence of pain and inactivity after fall.

The biggest limitation of this article is recall bias due to over a 12 month period injury events reporting. In addition, cognitive decline associated with age can also undermine the validity of self-reported survey responses.

Overall, depend on this article I would like to educate my older obese patients that in order to reduce their fall risk, a decrease in sedentary lifestyle and regular weight-bearing exercise are recommended.