CDC reports rise in unintentional fall deaths among older adults

CDC reports rise in unintentional fall deaths among older adults 
JAMA; by Samantha Anderer; 7/11/25 
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that deaths from unintentional falls among adults aged 65 years or older increased over the past 2 decades. Falls are currently the leading cause of injury for older adults, reaching 70 per 100 000 in 2023. As age increases, so does the likelihood of death due to a fall. And data from the National Vital Statistics System indicate that from 2003 to 2023, adults aged 85 years or older experienced the greatest increase in fall deaths. Rates for men, who are more likely to die from an unintentional fall, doubled from 178 to 373 per 100 000 people among those 85 years or older. For women in the same age group, deaths from falls increased 2.5 times, from 129 to 320 per 100 000.