Study explores best ways to reduce falls

Exercise interventions were the most effective way to reduce the risk of falls in older adults, according to a systematic review highlighted in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Journal of Patient Safety. Multifactorial interventions ─ which include an initial assessment of modifiable risk factors for falls, such as balance, gait, vision and cognition, and customizing interventions based on the assessment ─ also were associated with reduced falls in multiple studies. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force commissioned the systematic review to inform its updated recommendations for fall prevention in older adults. The review, published in JAMA, included 83 randomized clinical trials examining the effectiveness of six fall prevention interventions in older adults. (AHRQ Journal of Patient Safety article, 6/19/24)