Diabetes Increases Risk of Falls among Elderly

A recent study of 139 nursing home residents showed that male and female patients with diabetes were more than four times more likely to experience a fall than patients who didn’t have diabetes. The researchers suspect that diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage, was the main reason for the increase in falls. This type of damage affects the sense of feeling in your feet, and may contribute to a loss of balance.

Falls are one of the main causes of death and disability among the elderly. If you have a loved one who has diabetes and is in a nursing home, make sure to talk with the staff members there about precautions they take to help prevent falls.

Source:
Journal of Gerontology, September 2005.