Full member of GSISH

Contact Details

IMSE
Klinikum Rechts der Isar
TU München
Bau 523
Ismaninger Str. 22
81675 München
Germany

Institut für Epidemiologie
Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt
Helmholtz-Zentrum München
Ingolstädter Landstraße 1
85764 Neuherberg
Germany

Phone: +49 (0)89.4140.4357
Fax:     +49 (0)89.4140.4974

E-Mail: kathrin.thaler@tum.de

Project Details

Project:
Risk of falls in elderly: the role of gait, physical activity, balance and anemia

Supervisors:
Prof. Dr. Alexander Horsch
PD Dr. Christa Meisinger
Prof. Dr. Alois Knoll

Start of PhD-work at GSISH:
January 2011

Project Description:
Falls are known to be a major cause for massive injuries or even death in elderly. This PhD project investigates the influence of anemia, gait, physical activity and balance on the risk of falls in elderly people.

After a detailed literature review, data of more than 1000 participants of the KORA Age study aged 65+ will be analyzed. Gait parameters have been measured with the GAITRite system, anemia is detected by Hb levels, folate and vitamine B12 levels and the glomerular filtration rate from blood samples. Fall risk has been assessed with a questionnaire covering the year before the examination.

Linear and logistic regression models will be used to analyse the correlation between the different parameters and to analyse the influence of confounders such as age, sex or multimorbidity.

Publications:

Kathrin Thaler-Kall, Annette Peters, Barbara Thorand, Eva Grill, Christine S. Autenrieth, Alexander Horsch and Christa Meisinger. The influence of spatial-temporal gait parameters on fall risk in the older adults between 65 and 91: results of the cross-sectional KORA-Age study. Submitted to BMC Geriatrics

Thaler-Kall K, Using accelerometers to measure postural balance,Abstract for Verbündekonferenz 2012 in Munich.

Thaler-Kall K, Gorzelniak L, Tusker F, Hermsdörfer J, Horsch A. Where to Wear Accelerometers to MEasure Physical Activity in People? Accepted for MedInfo 2013, Kopenhagen.

Kathrin Thaler-Kall, Chen chen, André Dias, Lukas Gorzelniak, Sandra Ortlieb, Alexander Horsch, Holger Schulz, Christa Meisinger. Aktivitätsmessung und Ganganalyse mit Biosensoren: die Arbeit der TUM Biosensor Gruppe in KORA-Age. Poster presentation at Verbündekonferenz 2013, Hamburg.

Thaler-Kall K, Döring A, Peters A, et al. Association between anemia and falls in community-dwelling older people: cross-sectional results from the KORA-Age study. BMC Geriatr. 2014;14(1):29

Personal Details:

For Curriculum Vitae of Kathrin Thaler please click here.