Abstract Background: Falls are a major health concern among older adults, particularly those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). Despite their significance, the prevalence of falls in this population remains inconsistently reported across the literature. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of falls among older adults with AD in comparison to cognitively healthy (CH) older individuals. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2014 and 2024, in accordance with the Population, Exposure, Comparator, and Outcomes (PECO) framework. Eligible studies included human participants aged ≥60 years, with comparisons between individuals with AD and CH controls, reporting fall-related outcomes. After screening 173 records, two studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total of 174,981 participants (22,028 with AD and 152,953 CH). Results: The pooled prevalence of falls among older adults with AD ranged from 11.61% to 12.47%, markedly higher than in CH older adults (3.86% to 4.06%). Meta-analysis using a common effects model revealed that individuals with AD had threefold higher odds of falling (Odds Ratio: 3.00; 95% Confidence Interval: 2.86–3.15). Bias assessment indicated high methodological quality of the included studies, and heterogeneity across studies was minimal. Conclusions: Older adults with AD are at a significantly elevated risk of falls compared to their cognitively healthy counterparts. These findings emphasize the urgent need for routine fall risk assessments and the implementation of targeted fall prevention strategies in this vulnerable population, particularly in resource-limited settings where such interventions are often lacking.
Ashwin et al. (2026) studied this question.