History and risk of falls in adults attending physical therapy in a public hospital in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Is there an association with sarcopenia?: an observational study
Abstract
Objective: To describe the prevalence of falls in the last year in subjects aged over 50 years attending the physical therapy service of a hospital in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. The secondary objectives are to report whether there is an association between the history of falls and sarcopenia, as well as to determine the prevalence of risk of falls in subjects aged over 65 years.
Materials and methods: An observational, prospective, and cross-sectional study. Subjects aged over 50 years who attended the physical therapy service of a hospital in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires between January 2 and February 29, 2024, were included. To assess the risk of falls and the presence of sarcopenia, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the algorithm proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 were used, respectively.
Results: Of 86 subjects, the prevalence of a history of falls was 52.33 %, with a median age of 62.82 years. No statistically significant relationship was found between probable sarcopenia and falls (p-value=0.891). The prevalence of risk of falls in adults aged over 65 years was 24 %.
Conclusion: A total of 52.33 % of subjects aged over 50 years experienced at least one fall. The prevalence of risk of falls in older adults was 24 %. There was no association between sarcopenia and a history of falls.
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