Age-adjusted death rates due to unintentional falls among older adults increased 110% from 1999 to 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The fall-related death rate among those aged 65 or more years increased from 29.4 per 100,000 to 61.6 per 100,000 during that time, the CDC said in the Sept. 28 issue of “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly,” published Thursday. For men, the death rate increased 89%, from 38.3 per 100,000 in 1999 to 72.3 per 10,000 in 2016. Among women, the rate increased 122%, from 24.3 per 100,000 in 1999 to 54 per 100,000 in 2016.
Throughout the timeframe, death rates from unintentional falls were higher for men than for women, the CDC said.
Data came from the National Vital Statistics System.
The CDC has additional resources related to falls in older adults on its website.
