title: [Falls in elderly Brazilians and the relationship to medication: a systematic review].
abstract: Falls in the elderly, often classified as accidental, are frequently related to medication, generally involving poor prognosis and thus becoming a public health issue. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify published Brazilian studies on medication as a risk factor for falls or fall-related fractures in the elderly. The search covered the LILACS, PubMed, and SciELO indexes using the descriptors falls, elderly, and pharmaceutical preparations/medications/medicines/drugs or specific drug classes. A total of 340 articles presented data on prevalence, incidence, and risk factors associated with medication and falls or fall-related fractures, but only 6 pharmacoepidemiological studies were examined because they were conducted specifically in Brazilian samples. The main drug classes associated with increased risk of falls: antidepressants, sedatives, anxiolytics, and diuretics. The promotion of rational drug use in geriatrics requires well-designed studies to produce robust scientific data.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brasil. cris7paula@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cristiane de Paula
authors.initials: Cde P
authors.lastname: Rezende
authors.forename: Maria Ruth Gonçalves
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gaede-Carrillo
authors.forename: Elza Conceição de Oliveira
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Sebastião
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000209:etiology; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors