Effect of physical exercise on fall episodes in the elderly: a meta-analysis

Introduction Falls are very common among the elderly and can lead to high levels of morbidity and other adversities. Given the importance of preventing falls, it is suggested that physical activity can contribute to preventing such events. Objective To investigate the protective effect of physical exercise on episodes of falls in the elderly and, after long follow-up intervals without other interventions, to examine the effectiveness of exercise. Method This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials reporting only interventions in physical exercise and falls in the elderly searched the SPORTDiscus, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases for articles published until July 2022. Meta-regression was used to investigate the post-intervention time and the quality of studies on the effect of physical exercise on falls. Heterogeneity was calculated using the I 2 statistic. Forest plot and funnel plot were used to represent the fall incidence rate ratio and subgroup analysis. Results Physical exercise alone was not enough to protect against falls, but the follow-up period without intervention proved significant in protecting against falls (0.83; CI 95% 0.75–0.92). Conclusion Short interventions without follow-up were not enough to protect against falls, but interventions via physical exercise showed a protective effect on falls in the elderly when there was follow-up after long periods without interventions, only follow-up.