Does Having Muscle Weakness and Obesity Lead to Falls for Older Women?

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reviewed information from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) to gain insights on sarcopenic obesity and its effects on falls in older women, reports ScienceDaily . The study concerned more than 160,000 females aged 50 to 79 who were followed for more than 15 years, with results for 11,020 postmenopausal women analyzed. The researchers determined postmenopausal Hispanic/Latina women had the highest risk of sarcopenic obesity-related falls, and postmenopausal women younger than 65 were at a higher risk for falls linked to sarcopenic obesity. The investigators concluded that many older adults will be at high risk for falls as obesity and muscle weakness also increase with aging. Initiatives to gain more knowledge about how women's bodies change after menopause should help healthcare professionals conceive of potential solutions.