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Invited Commentary
August 2016

Velocity of Visual Field Progression Implicated in Falls

Author Affiliations
  • 1Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore
  • 2Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
  • 3Office of Clinical Sciences, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
JAMA Ophthalmol. 2016;134(8):886-887. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.1692

Falls in elderly individuals are relatively common and affect 1 in 3 community-living elderly adults annually. Of those who fall, 20% to 30% experience moderate to severe injuries, such as head or hip injuries. Serious falls are associated with increased morbidity and hospitalization and account for 70% of unintentional deaths in persons 75 years and older.1 Falls can also have a detrimental psychological effect, resulting in fear of falling, self-restriction of daily activities, reduced mobility, and increased dependence.2 Moreover, fall injuries are expensive to treat, with the direct medical costs in the United States totaling $34 billion in 2013.1

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