Deaths from falls decreased among older adults in the United States in the first quarter of this year compared with the same quarter last year, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Deaths rates from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases remained flat.
The center estimated deaths based on all of the death records it had received and processed as of June 19. The data include estimates on the top 15 causes of death in addition to estimates on causes such as falls among those aged 65 or more years. Deaths in one quarter are compared with deaths in the same quarter of the previous year to minimize seasonal influence.
The death rate due to falls among older adults was 57.4 per 100,000 people in the first quarter of this year compared with 69.1 per 100,000 in the first quarter of last year, according to the report.
The death rate from Alzheimer’s disease was 32.6 per 100,000 in the first quarter of this year compared with 33.1 per 100,000 for the same quarter of 2015. The death rate from Parkinson’s disease was 8.4 per 100,000 in the first quarter of this year compared with 8.6 per 100,000 in the same quarter of 2015. The center considers these rates to be similar.
Among the other causes of death examined are diabetes, pneumonia and influenza, and pneumonia due to solids and liquids. The death rates for all three of those causes were lower in the first quarter of this year compared with the rates in same quarter of 2015.
