Falls in older adults with multiple myeloma

Objective: To examine the prevalence of falls, factors associated with falls and the relationship between falls and survival in older adults with multiple myeloma. Methods: In an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS)-linked database, we examined 405 older adults with multiple myeloma (MM) and 513 matched non-cancer controls. The primary outcome was self-reported within the past 12 months. Age, race, gender, symptoms, and comorbidities were self-reported in the MHOS. Survival was calculated from SEER data. Results: Of the patients with MM, 171 were within 1 year of diagnosis (cohort 1) and 234 were ≥1 year postdiagnosis (cohort 2). Patients in cohorts 1 and 2 were more likely to have fallen than controls (26% and 33% vs 23%, P =.012). On multivariate analysis, among patients with myeloma (combined cohorts 1 and 2), factors associated with falls included self-report of fatigue (aOR 2.52 [95% CI 1.34-4.93]), depression (aOR 1.90 [95% CI 1.14-3.18]), or poorer general health (aOR 1.86 [95% CI 1.05-3.36]). Falls were not associated with survival. Conclusions: Older adults with MM have a greater prevalence of falls than matched controls. Self-reported fatigue, depression, and poorer general health are associated with greater odds of falls.