In Older Adults, a Sudden Fall May Indicate Early Alzheimer's

A study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease determined that the presence of early Alzheimer's disease in the brains of older adults may lead to falls even before symptoms of the disease arise, reports Being Patient . Washington University School of Medicine researchers found older adults in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's — before manifestation of cognitive problems — are more likely to suffer a fall than people who are not on track to develop dementia. "When a person's mobility is being diminished, even though the person looks very normal, that could be a sign that something needs further evaluation," said Washington University Professor Beau M. Ances. This implies that seniors who have experienced falls should be tested for Alzheimer's, and that new strategies may be needed to lower the risk of falling for people with early-stage Alzheimer's. "We don't yet know what that treatment might be, but we hope we can use this information to come up with new treatment recommendations that will reduce the risk of falls in this population," said Washington University Professor Susan Stark.