Fall-Prone Older Adults With Impaired Vision May Not Alter Walking Speed.

Fall-Prone Older Adults With Impaired Vision May Not Alter Walking Speed.

HealthDay  (9/17, Preidt) reported that according to a study published in the journal Insight: Research and Practice in Visual Impairment and Blindness, "fall-prone older adults may be more at risk for taking a tumble because they don't slow their walking speed when their vision is impaired." Researchers arrived at that conclusion after examining "five older adults who had fallen at least once in the past year, six older adults who had not fallen, and six younger adults," all of whose "walking was monitored under normal conditions and again when they wore goggles that caused blurred vision."

[Patients tend to underestimate the relationship between cataracts and "falls". This increases the risk of a broken hip, which is a very serious issue with senior citizens. -- Dr. J.D. Miller, Jr.]