title: Association of polypharmacy with fall risk among geriatric outpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of fall risk with comorbidities and medications in geriatric outpatients in a cross-sectional design.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 262 outpatients (84 men and 178 women, mean age 76.2±6.8years) were evaluated. Physical examination, clinical histories and medication profile were obtained from each patient. History of falls in the past year, 22-item fall risk index, 13-point simple screening test for fall, and time interval of one-leg standing test were examined as markers of fall risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On univariate analysis, older age, female sex, hypertension, osteoporosis, history of stroke, number of comorbidities, use of antihypertensives, aspirin, bisphosphonates, hypnotics and number of prescribed drugs were significantly associated with either of four indices. On multiple regression analysis, the number of drugs was associated with all of the four indices, independent of other factors associated in the univariate analysis. The association of number of drugs with fall risk indices was stepwise.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In geriatric outpatients, polypharmacy rather than number of comorbidities was associated with fall risk. Prospective and intervention studies are needed to clarify the causal relationship between polypharmacy, comorbidities and fall risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo Research Institute of Aging Science, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akishita
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Sumito
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.forename: Yasuyoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ouchi
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019338:Polypharmacy; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires