Medications and falls. Causation, correlation, and prevention.
Both medication use and fall rates increase with advancing age. The increased risk of falls conferred by drugs is clearest for psychoactive agents such as long-acting benzodiazepines. The most frail patients (those likeliest to fall) also are receiving the largest drug burden, imposing considerable confounding by indication. Nonetheless, improving the drug regimen is probably one of the most effective means of reducing fall risk, especially in the frail elderly.
Program for the Analysis of Clinical Strategies, Gerontology Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
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D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D010600:Pharmacology; D012307:Risk Factors