Deaths From Falls Almost Tripled From 2000 to 2016

Deaths from falls of U.S. adults aged 75 or more years almost tripled from 2000 to 2016, according to a study published Tuesday in JAMA.

From 2000 to 2016, the authors said, the absolute number of deaths from falls in the 75+ population increased from 8,613 to 25,189. During this same time period, the age-adjusted mortality rate from falls increased from 51.6 per 100,000 people to 122.2 per 100,000.

Deaths from falls increased with age. In 2016, for instance, those aged 75 to 79 had a rate of 42.1 deaths per 100,000; those aged 80 to 84 had a death rate of 88.9 per 100,000; those aged 85 to 89 had a death rate of 171.2 per 100,000; those aged 90 to 94 had a death rate of 367.5 per 100,000; and those aged 95 or more years had a death rate from falls of 630.8 per 100,000.

Mortality rates from falls were lower among the “oldest old” in the United States compared with the Netherlands, and researchers said this could be due to differences in the amount of time they spend outdoors in activities such as walking and cycling.