Preventing fall accidents involving senior citizens could be as simple as popping a pill. According to new research, increased doses of vitamin D could help reduce the risk of fall accidents involving the elderly.
The research was conducted by scientists at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and the results of the study were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The researchers found that taking vitamin D supplements every day could help senior citizens reduce their risk of being in a fall accident.
The scientists claim that taking a daily vitamin D supplement could help increase muscle strength and balance, thereby preventing fall accidents involving seniors. The researchers conducted trials in which they found that daily doses of 800 IU of vitamin D slashed the risk of falls by much as 17%.
Fall accidents are also highly common among the senior population. Approximately 30% to 40% of all elderly persons suffer a fall accident every year. Out of these, many involve seniors who were living independently at the time of the accident.
As any Los Angeles slip and fall accident lawyer knows, fall accidents are the leading cause of injury involving adults above the age of age 65 in the United States. As a person ages, he may suffer from a condition called osteoporosis, in which there is decreased bone mineral density, leading to weak and brittle bones. These weakened bones are much more likely to snap when a person falls.
Further, there are serious health risks associated with fall accidents involving senior citizens. These fractures may take a much longer time to heal. There are other complications that can arise when a senior citizen suffers a serious fracture, like a hip fracture. In fact, a senior citizen’s risk of fatality increases dramatically in the year after a fall accident. For all these reasons, it is extremely important to prevent fall accidents involving seniors.
