We all know how dangerous falls are for seniors, but a new study found that more American seniors are dying from them. According to the study, nearly 25,000 people 75 and older died because of falls in 2016. That’s three times more than in 2000. This number will most likely increase as the older American population rises.

American Seniors are Dying From Falls

We’ve talked a lot about falls already and different ways to prevent them. Now, we have numbers. Around $50 billion was spent on medical care due to falls in 2015. The rate of death by fall for men rose from 61 per 100,000 to 116. For women, the rate jumped from 46 to 106 every 100,000.

Plus the older you get, the more deadly falls can become. Death due to falls for people 75-79 was 42 per 100,000 while those who are 95 and older had a rate of 591 per 100,000.

Now no one is quite sure why the rates are rising, but what researchers do know is that they are preventable.

It’s not just age that can cause falls. Other factors include a sedentary lifestyle, chronic diseases, neurological issues and incontinence, and higher use of prescription drugs.

But why do people die from falls? Some reasons are head trauma, internal bleeding, and complications of a bone fracture. Fractures can lead to hospitalization, immobility in bed, and infections, which can be deadly.

Make sure to check out our other articles about falls to learn about how to prevent them.

Read more about the study here.