Bold study shows fall prevention program decreases annualized fall rate by 46%

Research shows participants increased weekly minutes of physical activity by 206%.

Age Bold, Inc. (Bold), a digital health company delivering science-based exercise programs for fall prevention, pain management, and healthier aging, announced today the results of a feasibility study for Bold’s Fall Prevention Program, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR).

The results show that users of Bold’s scalable Fall Prevention Program demonstrate a 46% decrease in annualized falls per year and a 206% increase in weekly minutes of physical activity.

According to the CDC, 1 in 4 adults over 65 suffer a fall per year. In 2015, the medical costs for falls totaled more than $50 billion and is projected to reach up to $100 billion by 2030. This cost is greater than all cancer care costs combined (~5 to 6% of total Medicare spend) — despite the fact that many falls are preventable.

“Physical activity is a vital health behavior with numerous benefits for physical and mental health, including reducing the risk of falls in older individuals,” said Dr. Randall Stafford, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. “Falls can be a serious, life-altering event and not enough attention has been devoted to reducing fall risk.”

Bold’s Fall Prevention Program overcomes many of the typical barriers that have interfered with the availability and accessibility of exercise programs for older people.

“We’re proud that Bold’s novel fall prevention product will make it easier to scale evidence-backed exercise programming to reach millions of adults who have experienced a fall or are fearful of getting injured from a fall,” said Amanda Rees, CEO of Bold. “We are excited to offer a solution that helps members stay healthy, balanced, and active.”

Read the full study here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34837492/