Hermes belts 1029 falls were reported, and 405 participants (55%) fell at least once during the follow-up. Reporting at least 2 locations of musculoskeletal pain at baseline predicted higher incidence of falls, with age-adjusted rates of falls per person-year being 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13 - 1.23) for the 300 participants HERMES LIGHT BLUE subtle pebbled leather SILVER BUCKLE belt (40%) with 2 or more sites of joint pain, 0.90 (95% CI, 0.87 - 0.92) for the 181 participants (24%) with single-site pain, and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.74 - 0.81) for the 267 participants with no joint pain.
More severe or disabling pain at baseline was also associated with higher fall rates (P < .05), even after adjustment for multiple confounders and fall risk factors. Persons with at least 2 pain sites had the greatest risk for falls (adjusted rate ratio [RR], 1.53; 95% CI, 1.17 - 1.99), as did those in the highest tertiles of pain severity HERMES leather belts (adjusted RR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.12 - 2.08) and pain interference with activities (adjusted RR, 1.53; 95%CI, 1.15 - 2.05), vs participants who had no pain or who were in the lowest tertiles of pain scores.
“Chronic pain measured according to number of locations, severity, or pain interference with daily activities was associated with greater risk of falls in older adults,” the study authors write. “Chronic pain may serve as a distractor or, in some way, interfere with cognitive activity needed to prevent a fall. Successful avoidance HERMES ladies belts or interruptions of a fall typically requires a cognitively mediated physical maneuver.”
Limitations of this study include observational design and inability to exclude the possibilities that baseline pain was a consequence of previous falls or that a pain-related pathologic condition was the underlying cause of the falls.
“The findings provide evidence suggesting that the common complaint of the aches and pains of old age is related to a greater hazard than previously thought,” the study authors conclude. “The significance of this work is in the HERMES KHAKI LEATHER BELT WITH GOLDEN BUCKLE identification of chronic pain as an overlooked and potentially important risk factor for falls in older adults. A randomized controlled trial is needed to determine whether improved pain control could reduce risk for falls among older patients with chronic pain.”