Falls in the elderly are a major cause of injury resulting in disability and hospitalization. They have a significant impact on both the individual (loss of quality of life, nursing home admissions) and society (healthcare costs). Even though falls in the elderly are common, there are some well-studied risk factors for them. Muscle wasting and loss of bone mineral density should be highlighted in particular. Frailty, a complex syndrome including, by definition, conditions such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and metabolic diseases, is associated with a high risk of falls.
There are several well-evaluated fall prevention approaches that either target a single fall risk factor or focus on multiple risk factors. It is known that physical exercise can play a key role not only in improving the functioning of patients suffering from osteosarcopenia, but also in terms of modulating the composition of bone tissue and muscle mass.
In conclusion, the correlation between osteosarcopenia, frailty, and fall risk is well known, but future research and further studies are necessary to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and optimize the therapeutic management.
KEY WORDS: Sarcopenia, osteoporosis, frailty, risk of falls, elderly, rehabilitation.
