Risk Factors for Falls in Patients on Hemodialysis: A 12-Month Prospective Study

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Geriatrics
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Patients on hemodialysis often have multiple health issues, including malnutrition and polypharmacy.
• These conditions increase the risk of falls, fractures, and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between physical function, balance, frailty, fear of falling, and quality of life with fall occurrence and frequency in hemodialysis patients.
• To identify key factors contributing to falls in this vulnerable population over a 12-month period.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 112 hemodialysis patients.
• Assessment of physical function (gait speed, Timed Up and Go [TUG] test, 5-repetition sit-to-stand [5-STS] test, handgrip strength), postural balance (Mini-BESTest), frailty, fear of falling (Falls Efficacy Scale-International [FES-I]), and quality of life (SF-36).
• 12-month fall monitoring through interviews.

Main Results:

• The incidence rate of falls was 1.62 falls per person-year.
• Fall occurrence was associated with TUG and 5-STS performance and frailty.
• Number of falls correlated with gait speed, TUG, handgrip strength, Mini-BESTest, frailty, FES-I, and SF-36 scores (physical functioning, physical role, physical component summary).

Conclusions:

• Hemodialysis patients exhibit a high incidence of falls.
• Falls in this group are significantly associated with impaired physical function, poor postural balance, frailty, and diminished quality of life.