To prevent falls: Less drugs, more tai chi

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. and British medical groups say elders can help prevent falls with tai chi and by cutting back on medications.

The two recommendations are part of updated guidelines issued by the American Geriatrics Society and the British Geriatric Society.

The guidelines, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, also say interventions for preventing falls all include an exercise component and advise assessments look at feet and footwear, fear of falling and ability to carry out daily living activities. The guidelines also state fall screening and prevention should be a part of all healthcare practices for older adults.

A panel of experts compiled the guidelines based on their systematic review of the randomized controlled trials of fall prevention interventions and other studies.

"Because we looked at not only what recommendations were given, but also which carried out, we're confident that multifactorial interventions is the best course of action," one of the panel chairs, Dr. Mary Tinetti of Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., says in a statement.

"Falls are one of the most common health problems experienced by older adults and are a common cause of losing functional independence."

However, Tinetti says emerging evidence indicates the rate of serious fall injuries is decreasing modestly in areas in which fall prevention is integrated into clinical practice.