Falls a common cause of injury deaths in elderly adults

Falls are a common cause of injury-related deaths in adults age 65 and older, according to a new federal data brief.

The National Center for Health Statistics analyzed data from the 2000-2013 files of the National Vital Statistics System and reported that during 2012 and 2013, 90,640 adults age 65 or older died of unintentional injuries, 55% of which were caused by falls. The Center also found that from 2000 through 2013, the age-adjusted fall injury death rate in elderly adults increased from 29.6 per 100,000 to 56.7 per 100,000.

Age-adjusted death rates for unintentional poisonings in elderly adults have also increased, an average of 6% per year from 2000 to 2013, while death rates for suffocation and fire decreased over that same period. Adults age 65 and older were more likely to die in motor vehicle crashes in nonmetropolitan versus metropolitan areas, but motor vehicle crashes as a cause of death in elderly adults have declined overall, from 20.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2000 to 14.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2013.

The data brief noted that rates of fatal falls among the elderly may be increasing for many reasons, including better reporting of such injuries. The full brief is available online.