[Initiation of pharmacotherapy as a risk factor for older patients.]

The article presents the literature and original data on the problems of falls in elderly patients. The connection of the fact of falling with initiation of therapy by a number of drugs known to have a negative impact on the risk of falling is considered. The article presents data on the frequency and structure of falls on the example of patients with cardiovascular diseases older than 75 years, treated in a multidisciplinary hospital. The analysis of the data showed a tendency of prevalence of the fact of falling in 1/3 patients (33,8%) in the first 5 days of hospital stay, which may be associated with high drug burden and the appointment of «new» drugs for the patient. The study noted that it was on the first day that the selection of therapy took place and additional drugs were often prescribed, leading to a state of polypragmasia. Analysis of individual groups of drugs was able to reliably confirm the relationship between the appointment of drugs that increase.