Clinical and laboratory studies of falls in old people. Prospects for prevention.

Elderly people at risk of falling may be divided into high, intermediate, and low-risk groups. In all three, but especially in the low-risk group, a large number of people have to be treated in order to prevent an unfavorable outcome. Attempts have been made to prevent further falls, fractures, hospitalization, and death by domiciliary treatment of high-risk patients and by exercise and dance in low-risk subjects. These studies have proved difficult to establish and to evaluate, and as yet no clear evidence has been produced on the effectiveness of these interventions.