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JAMA. 2007;297:32-33.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

MMWR. 2006;55:1221-1224

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Unintentional falls are a common occurrence among older adults, affecting approximately 30% of persons aged 65 years each year.¹ The injuries received from a fall can result in death, disability, nursing-home admission, and direct medical costs.^2-3 In 2003, a total of 13,700 persons aged 65 years died from falls, and 1.8 million were treated in emergency departments (EDs) for nonfatal injuries from falls.* Falls cause the majority of hip fractures, which often result in long-term functional impairments that might require admission to a nursing home for a year or more.² To examine trends in fatal and nonfatal falls among older persons, CDC analyzed U.S. rates of (1) fatalities from falls (during 1993-2003), (2) hospitalizations for hip fractures (1993-2003), and (3) nonfatal injuries resulting from falls in persons treated in EDs (2001-2005). This report summarizes the results of those analyses, which indicated that, during 1993-2003, the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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