Cardiac enzyme changes in elderly fallers.

The pattern of enzyme changes in elderly fallers admitted to an acute geriatric unit was investigated. Creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were measured daily for 3 days after admission in all patients in whom a fall preceded admission. Of 270 patients, 52 (19%) had fallen prior to admission, of whom five (10%) had an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In fallers without an AMI in whom a history was available, CK and AST activities were significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in patients who had spent more than 1 hour on the floor than in those who had spent less than 1 hour. No other clinical factor affected enzyme activities. CK and AST activities were raised in 66% and 40%, respectively, of fallers without an AMI. Elevation of CK and AST activities in elderly fallers is likely to be a result of the fall itself rather than of an AMI.