Abstract
Background and aims: We and others have identified links between cardiovascular conditions and poor musculoskeletal health. However, the relationship between measures of carotid atherosclerosis such as focal carotid plaque and common carotid intima media thickness (CCA-IMT) and falls remains understudied. This study examined the association between measures of carotid atherosclerosis and fall-related hospitalization over 11.5 years in community dwelling older women. Methods and results: 1116 older women recruited in 1998 to a five-year randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of calcium supplementation in preventing fracture and who had undertaken B-mode ultrasound in 2001 (three years after the baseline clinical visit) were included in this study. The participants were followed for over 11.5 years as Perth Longitudinal Study of Ageing Women (PLSAW). Over the follow up period, 428 (38.4 %) women experienced a fall-related hospitalization. Older women with carotid plaque had 44 % a higher relative hazard for fall-related hospitalization (HR 1.44; 95 % CI, 1.18 to 1.76) compared to those without carotid plaque. The association persisted after adjustment for established falls risk factors such as measures of muscle strength and physical function.Each SD increase in the mean and maximum CCA-IMT was also associated with a higher risk of fall-related hospitalizations (HR 1.10; 95 % CI, 1.00 to 1.21 and HR 1.11; 95 % CI, 1.01 to 1.22, respectively). Conclusions: Measures of carotid atherosclerosis are associated with a higher risk of fall-related hospitalization independent of established falls risk factors. These findings suggest the importance of vascular health when considering falls risk.
Keywords
Carotid atherosclerosis, Carotid intima media thickness, Falls, Older women, Physical function
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-31-2023
Volume
33
Issue
1
PubMed ID
36411216
Publication Title
Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases
Publisher
Elsevier
School
Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
47166
Funding Information
This study was supported by a Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Foundation grant. The PLSAW was funded by Healthway the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia project grants (254627, 303169 and 572604). The salary of MS is supported by a Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation Career Advancement Fellowship (CAF 130/2020) and an Emerging Leader Fellowship from the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, Department of Health. The salary of JRL is supported by a National Heart Foundation of Australia Future Leader Fellowship (ID: 102817). The salary of JMH is supported by a NHMRC of Australia Senior Research Fellowship. The salary of AJR is supported by a NMHRC Investigator Grant (GNT1197958). The salary of CPB is supported by a Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation ‘Lawrie Beilin’ Career Advancement Fellowship (ID: CAF 127/2020).
Funding received from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
254627, 303169, 572604, GNT1197958
Grant Link
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/254627
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/303169
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Content Type
Full object
First Page
95
Last Page
104
Recommended Citation
Gebre, A. K., Sim, M., Dalla Via, J., Rodríguez, A. J., Hodgson, J. M., Bondonno, C. P., ... & Lewis, J. R. (2023). Measures of carotid atherosclerosis and fall-related hospitalization risk: The Perth Longitudinal Study of Ageing Women. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 33(1), 95-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2022.10.003
Comments
This is an Authors Accepted Manuscript version of an article published by Elsevier in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. The published article is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2022.10.003
Gebre, A. K., Sim, M., Dalla Via, J., Rodríguez, A. J., Hodgson, J. M., Bondonno, C. P., ... & Lewis, J. R. (2023). Measures of carotid atherosclerosis and fall-related hospitalization risk: The Perth Longitudinal Study of Ageing Women. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 33(1), 95-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2022.10.003