The Association of Significant Depressive Symptoms on the Risk of Falls: A Prospective Cohort Study from the Health and Retirement Study.

Falls are one of the leading causes of injury-related morbidity and mortality among the older adult population. Medical costs attributable to falls is projected to increase as the population grows over the next decades. Depression is one of the most common neurological disorders experienced among older adults. Utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study, this study investigated the association between significant depressive symptoms (SDS) on the risk of falls among individuals aged 65 and up. After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals with SDS had a 25% increased risk for incident falls when compared to individuals without SDS (risk ratio [RR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22, 1.27). Both sex and BMI were found to be effect modifiers in the association of SDS on fall risk. This study suggests that depressive symptoms is a risk factor for falls, consistent with previous literature.