Fall Risk and Fear of Falling Among Older Adults in Cardiac Rehabilitation: ARTICULATING RISK FACTORS, PREVALENCE,...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cardiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Fall risk is a significant concern in older adults, linked to reduced exercise capacity and increased mortality.
• Limited data exists on the outcomes of patients with high fall risk undergoing cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of high fall risk among CR patients.
• To identify patient characteristics associated with high fall risk.
• To examine CR engagement and outcomes in relation to fall risk.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of electronic health records for CR patients aged 65 years and older.
• Utilized an 11-variable checklist to categorize patients into high (≥2 risk factors) or low fall risk groups.
• Compared groups on demographics, medical/psychosocial factors, CR session attendance, and functional capacity changes (METs, 6MWT).

Main Results:

• The overall CR falls incident rate was low (0.137/1000 visits).
• One-quarter of patients were identified as high fall risk, with visual difficulty, balance, and gait disturbances being common factors.
• High fall risk patients were older, had lower quality of life, and attended slightly fewer CR sessions, but showed no significant difference in functional capacity improvement.

Conclusions:

• Despite characteristics associated with lower CR referral, high fall risk patients demonstrate comparable functional gains to low fall risk patients.
• Tailored exercise prescriptions and safety modifications are crucial for optimizing CR benefits in high fall risk individuals.
• CR participation is valuable for high fall risk patients, supporting improved outcomes when appropriately managed.