VOA标准英语2009年-Researchers Say Elderly Adults with Ch

Falls among elderly one of leading causes of death

Vidushi Sinha | Washington, DC 02 December 2009

 
Researchers say fall-related injuries are among the most common, disabling and expensive health conditions experienced by older adults

A new study in the United States shows that pain is a major factor in causing the elderly to fall. The study follows earlier research that found that falling is the major cause of injury for those over 70 and a primary cause of death for those over the age of 85.

The new study at the University of Massachusetts focused on chronic¹ bone and joint² pain for adults 70 and older. Suzanne Leveille led the research. "In our study, the most important findings were that chronic pain was associated with an increased likelihood of falling in older adults," she stated.

Fall-related injuries are among the most common, disabling and expensive health conditions experienced by older adults. Researchers say this latest study is the first to look at the complexity³ of pain in older adults relating specifically to falls.

"In our study about 40 percent of our population fell in the first year of the study, 55 percent of our participants fell within the 18 months of our study, over 1,000 falls were reported in our population of 749 persons aged⁴ 70 and older," Leveille said. 

Leveille and her colleagues asked older adults living independently to record pain levels. They reported more than 1,000 falls over an 18 month period.

At Boston's Hebrew Rehabilitation⁵ Center, Loretta and George Slover are being tested for balance. Both are in their 70s, and both have taken falls. Loretta Slover lives with chronic joint pain. "The achiness is just very uncomfortable so that you know you are aware of it much too much no matter what else you are supposed to be doing," she said.

The researchers also found that the amount of pain is a factor.

"We found that people that had multi-site pain were particularly at risk.  They had a 50 percent increased likelihood of falling over a period of 18 months, compared to their peers who had no pain," Leveille explained.
 
Falls in elderly are the number one cause of hospitalization due to trauma⁶. Falls cause hip⁷ fractures, brain injuries and other outcomes. Leveille says some of these falls can be prevented. "Paying closer attention to the problems such as pain and falls could result in better health and help people to continue to live actively⁸ and independently in the community," she said.

An earlier study at Yale University showed that educating elderly patients about preventing falls and encouraging clinicians to assess the risk of falling for their elderly patients, reduced falling by 11 percent.

Loretta Slover says Leveille's study has made her more aware of pain and taking precautions. "I have come to just cherish, what I've just said, getting up in my own house from my own bed, with my own sheets, the way I like them, going down to my own kitchen, making coffee the way I like it at the time I want to do it," Slover said.

The number of people aged 60 and older are increasing throughout much of the world.

Helping⁹ the elderly maintain good health increases their quality of life and can reduce the cost of medical care needed to treat injuries from falls.

 

1 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

4 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

5 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

6 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

7 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

8 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。