Researchers point to common injuries that are an early indicator of dementia

It may seem like just part of growing older, but falling can dramatically increase your risk of dementia.

Researchers in Boston evaluated the medical records of more than 2.4 million adults over age 65 and found that those who went to the hospital after a fall were 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with dementia a year later than their peers.

The researchers said the findings show that older adults who sustain a traumatic injury should be screened for cognitive problems, which can be a precursor to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

There are now several approved medications to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, but these are most effective when given in the early stages of the disease.

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that maintaining a decline into old age increased the risk of dementia by 20 percent

The graph above shows the number of dementia diagnoses after an injury. One year after the injury, 10 percent of adults were diagnosed with dementia, compared with six percent for other injuries

Dr. Molly Jarman, senior study author and associate director of the Center for Surgery and Public Health at Brigman and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said: ‘Our study highlights the opportunity for early intervention and the need for more physicians who can provide comprehensive care to the elderly. adults.

‘If we can establish that falls serve as early indicators of dementia, we can identify other precursors and early events that we can intervene on, which would significantly improve our approach to managing cognitive health in older adults.

The researchers analyzed injury data from Medicare Fee-For-Service, a health care payment system, involving 2.4 million adults over age 66. More than half of the participants suffered a fall as a result of their injury.

The majority of participants – 91 percent – ​​were white and more than 60 percent were women.

The research, published on Monday in JAMA network openedResearch found that one in ten participants were diagnosed with dementia within a year of a fall, compared to one in fifteen of those who suffered another injury.

After analyzing other factors, falls were associated with a 21 percent increased risk of dementia.

Dr. Jarman said: ‘The relationship between falls and dementia appears to be a two-way street.

‘Cognitive decline can increase the risk of falls, but trauma from those falls can also accelerate the progression of dementia and make a later diagnosis more likely.

‘Falls may therefore act as precursors to events that can help us identify people who need further cognitive screening.’

The team noted that performing cognitive screening after a fall can help detect dementia at an earlier stage, slowing progression and potentially increasing life expectancy.

Dr. Alexander Ordoobadi, lead author of the study and a physician in the Department of Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: ‘One of the biggest challenges we face is the lack of ownership in the process of follow-up screening for cognitive impairment, because there is potential not enough time for these screenings in an emergency department or trauma center.

“Ideally, older adults should receive follow-up care after an injury from a primary care provider or geriatrician who can monitor their cognitive health and long-term functional recovery after the injury, but many older adults do not have a regular primary care provider and do not have access to a geriatrician.”

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, affects about seven million Americans and almost 1 million Britons.