Antidepressants and Sedatives Associated With Risk
of Falls for Older Americans
Over 30% of senior citizens (older than 65) will
fall at least once a year; falls are the fifth-leading cause of death in
the developed world
Nov. 23, 2009 - Older adults who take several types
of psychotropic medications - such as antidepressants or sedatives -
appear more likely to experience falls, according to an analysis of
previous studies reported in the November 23 issue of Archives of
Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
One-point decrease on social activity scale was
equivalent to being approximately five years older at the start of the
study - risk of death, disability jump
More than 30 percent of individuals older than 65
will fall at least once a year, and falls and their complications are
the fifth-leading cause of death in the developed world, according to
background information in the article.
Each year, 85 percent of all injury-related
hospital admissions and more than 40 percent of nursing home admissions
are related to falls, and the annual costs related to falls and their
complications are estimated to be in the billions of dollars worldwide.
Both internal and external risk factors contribute
to falls, and medications have previously been implicated in the
probability of falling and in the risk of sustaining a fracture.
John C. Woolcott, M.A., of the University of
British Columbia and Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcomes Sciences,
Vancouver, Canada, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 22
previously published studies conducted between 1996 and 2007.
The studies involved 79,081 participants older than
60 years and evaluated nine drug classes: antihypertensive agents;
diuretics; beta-blockers; sedatives and hypnotics; neuroleptics and
antipsychotics; antidepressants; benzodiazepines; narcotics; and
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
When the data were pooled and results adjusted for
other factors, the use of sedatives and hypnotics, antidepressants and
benzodiazepines were significantly associated with the risk of falling
in older adults.
"Given the divergent results shown by some
observational assessments within specific medication classes, the
results of our meta-analysis reiterate the need for caution when
prescribing these medications to seniors," the authors write.
"It is hoped that future research in this area can
be completed with larger sample sizes in both community and long-term
care facility settings and thus improve the quality of information about
fall risks that is available to physicians and pharmacists when they are
deciding which types of pharmacotherapy to provide."
Editor's Note: This research was supported in part
by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Michael Smith
Foundation for Health Services Research and the Government of Canada
Research Chair in Pharmaceutical Outcomes.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
Nov. 23, 2009 - Older adults who take several types
of psychotropic medications - such as antidepressants or sedatives -
appear more likely to experience falls, according to an analysis of
previous studies reported in the November 23 issue of Archives of
Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. 
