Falls are not only a leading cause of injury but also a significant driver of healthcare costs and patient distress—especially for older adults or those juggling multiple health issues. We often hear about how one bad fall can disrupt a person’s independence for months or even years. But why are certain people at greater risk than others? And what role do chronic conditions—like arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease—play in creating that elevated risk?
In this first article, we’ll explore the big picture: how falls and multiple comorbidities intersect, and why our team decided to investigate this problem in greater detail.
The Growing Challenge of Falls
- Prevalence: According to national statistics, up to one‐third of adults over 65 may experience a fall each year. As people live longer—and with more chronic ailments—this figure is likely to climb.
- Consequences: Falls can lead to hip fractures, head injuries, hospitalization, and in severe cases, permanent disability or even mortality.
- Financial & Emotional Costs: Beyond medical bills, there’s the psychological toll—fear of falling often leads to reduced physical activity, which ironically increases the chance of future falls.
Why Chronic Conditions Multiply Risk
Many patients manage more than one chronic disease at a time—referred to as “comorbidities.” Examples include:
- Arthritis: Joint pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion affect balance.
- Diabetes: Neuropathy and blood sugar fluctuations can degrade stability.
- Heart Conditions: Fatigue, dizziness, or shortness of breath contribute to unsteadiness.
When two or more comorbidities coincide, the impact is rarely just additive—it can be exponential, amplifying one’s risk of slips, trips, and life‐altering falls.
Our Motivation to Investigate
As healthcare providers at Access Health Care Physicians (in partnership with Vedere University), we’ve witnessed how co‐occurring conditions complicate a patient’s path to wellness. Even slight reductions in mobility or confidence can tip someone from “managing well” to “dangerously prone to falls.”
Yet, in many clinics, there isn’t always a straightforward, routine way to assess how many comorbidities a person has and how these diseases collectively increase fall risk. Recognizing this gap spurred us to design a custom 24‐item fall‐risk survey that specifically accounts for comorbidity burden. We set out to see if those with ≥2 chronic conditions consistently score worse (i.e., higher risk) than those with <2 conditions.
What to Expect in This Series
This is the first in a series of 7 articles where we’ll delve into:
- How We Built Our 24-Item Scale and why we scored items on a 1–5 basis.
- Our Methodology—from participant demographics to data analysis using Python.
- Key Research Findings—the real numbers behind the comorbidity–fall risk link.
- Practical Applications—what doctors, caregivers, and patients can do.
- Stories and Case Vignettes—putting a human face on the stats.
- Future Directions—validation studies, potential collaborations, and next steps.
By the end of this series, we hope you’ll have a clearer sense of the fall‐risk–comorbidity connection and be inspired to apply or adapt these insights in your own practice or community setting.
Join the Conversation
We’d love to hear from healthcare professionals, caregivers, or anyone who’s seen the impact of multiple chronic conditions on daily function.
- Have you observed how one new diagnosis can dramatically heighten someone’s fall risk?
- Do you believe we need specialized assessments for patients with multiple comorbidities?
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or email us at researchinfo@ahcpllc.com. And don’t forget to follow along as we release our next article, where we’ll discuss how we designed and scored our 24‐item survey to capture a comprehensive picture of a person’s fall‐risk profile.
Stay tuned!
Posted by:
Dr. Pariksith Singh, Dr. Manjusri Vennamaneni, and Dr. Carlos Arias (Authors)
with Ed Laughman and Nawtej Dosanjh (Editors)
and Lynda Benson (Research Associate)
in collaboration with Access Health Care Physicians & Vedere University
