Exercise Interventions Can Prevent Injurious Falls in Elders

Falls cause substantial morbidity among elders and are costly. Although exercise interventions can prevent falls in older adults, whether such interventions also prevent fall-associated injuries is unclear. To determine the effects of fall-prevention exercise interventions on fall-related injuries, investigators in France conducted a meta-analysis of 17 randomized trials that involved 4300 community-dwelling elders (mean age, 77).

Most exercise programs included gait-, balance-, and strength-training components. Four outcomes were assessed: all injurious falls, falls resulting in medical care, severe injurious falls, and falls resulting in fractures. Compared with no intervention or placebo intervention (e.g., general health education class)…