Frequent Falls May Be Early Alzheimer's Sign

A parent or loved one who has begun to have problems with balance could be experiencing early indicators of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis.

The researchers reported their findings this week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease in Paris.

They found that study participants with brain changes suggestive of early Alzheimer’s disease were more likely to fall than those whose brains did not show the same changes. Until now, falls had only been associated with Alzheimer’s in the late stages of dementia.

No obvious signs of Alzheimer's

“If you meet these people on the street, they appear healthy and have no obvious cognitive problems,” said lead author Susan Stark, PhD, assistant professor of occupational therapy and neurology. “But they have changes in their brain that look similar to Alzheimer’s disease, and they have twice the typical annual rate of falls for their age group.”

About one in three adults age 65 or older typically fall each year. But in the 18 participants with high amyloid levels in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, two-thirds fell within the first eight months of the study. High levels of amyloid in the brain were the best predictor of an increased risk of falls.

“Falls are a serious health concern for older adults,” Stark said. “Our study points to the notion that we may need to consider preclinical Alzheimer’s disease as a potential cause.”

Inherited Alzheimer's

In an unrelated study at the university, researchers found that inherited forms of Alzheimer's may be detectable as many as 20 years before memory problems surface. The discovery, they say, may lead to much earlier diagnosis, which could slow the impact of the progressive disease.

“We want to prevent damage and loss of brain cells by intervening early in the disease process — even before outward symptoms are evident, because by then it may be too late,” said Alzheimer’s researcher and physician Randall Bateman, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and an associate director of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN), an international study of inherited forms of Alzheimer’s.