Prevalence and risk factors of falls in adults with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Despite the fact that the estimated prevalence and risk factors of falls in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are widely reported, these results have not been synthesized. The systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of falls in adults with RA.Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Wanfang Database, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI), Weipu Data-base (VIP), and Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM) were searched for relevant studies published from the inception of the database until July 4, 2022. Stata 15.0 Software was used to perform the meta-analysis. For the prevalence of falls in adults with RA and risk factors that were investigated in at least 2 studies in a comparable way, we calculated pooled incidence and odds ratios (ORs) using random-effects models, with a test for het-erogeneity. A study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022358120).Results: A total of 6,470 articles were screened and data from 34 studies involving 24,123 subjects were used in meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of any falls was 34% (95% confidence interval, CI: 29% to 38%, I2=97.7%, P<0.001), and 16% for recurrent falls (95% CI: 12% to 20%, I2=97.5%, P<0.001). 25 risk factors were considered, including sociodemographic, medical and psychological, medication, and physical function. The strongest associations were found for history of falls (OR=3.08, 95%CI: 2.32 to 4.08, I2=0.0%, P = 0.660), history of fracture (OR=4.03, 95%CI: 3.12 to 5.21, I2=97.3%, P<0.001), walking aid use (OR=1.60, 95%CI: 1.23 to 2.08, I2=67.7%, P = 0.026), dizziness (OR=1.95, 95%CI: 1.43 to 2.64, I2=82.9%, P = 0.003), psychotropic medication use (OR=1.79, 95%CI: 1.39 to 2.30, I2=22.0%, P = 0.254), antihypertensive medicine/diuretic (OR=1.83, 95%CI: 1.37 to 2.46, I2=51.4%, P = 0.055), taking four or more medicine(OR=1.51, 95%CI: 1.26 to 1.81, I2=26.0%, P = 0.256), and HAQ score(OR=1.54, 95%CI: 1.40 to 1.69, I2=36.9%, P = 0.135).Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive evidence-based assessment of the prevalence and risk factors for falls in adults with RA, confirming their multifactorial etiology. Understanding the risk factors of falls can provide healthcare personnel with a theoretical basis for the management and prevention of RA patients.