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Polypharmacy and falls in the middle age and elderly population
G Ziere1, J P Dieleman, A Hofman
1Section of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, the Netherlands.
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
|January 26, 2006
Summary
Elderly fall risk increases with polypharmacy, especially when using specific high-risk medications. This finding highlights the importance of medication review for preventing falls in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Falls are a significant health concern for the elderly population.
- Polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications, is common in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between polypharmacy and the risk of falls in individuals aged 55 years and older.
Main Methods:
- Population-based cross-sectional study (Rotterdam Study) with 6928 participants.
- Assessed fall prevalence and medication use via questionnaires.
- Defined polypharmacy as using four or more drugs daily.
Main Results:
- Fall prevalence increased with age, disability, joint complaints, walking aid use, and fracture history.
- Significant increase in fall risk with the number of daily medications (P < 0.0001).
- Polypharmacy remained a risk factor after adjusting for comorbidities and disability, particularly when high-risk drugs (CNS agents, diuretics) were involved.
Conclusions:
- Polypharmacy is linked to increased fall risk in the elderly.
- This association is significant only when polypharmacy includes at least one known fall risk-increasing drug.
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