Common prescription medications linked to the increase in mortality rates related to falling among older people

For older adults, minor falls can represent important threats, since their risk of death after a fall has tripled in the United States in the last 30 years.

Some experts believe that certain medications, a category called drugs to increase the risk of fall or frids, could be the fault.

Dr. Thomas A. Farley, a public health expert based in Washington, DC, writes in the Jama medical publication that changes in lifestyle alone cannot explain the peak.

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“There are many reasons to believe that the increase in autumn deaths can be linked to the very high use of certain prescription medications,” he writes.

Farley pointed out that these drugs are widely used among older adults, and their use has grown in recent decades.

“Reducing unnecessary income could be a simple but powerful way to reduce fall rates and Help the elderly It is still safe, independent and active as they age, “the researchers wrote in the study, published in BMC Geriatrics.

What to know about the frids

FRIDS could make people more likely to fall because they can cause drowsiness, dizziness, slower reaction times or problems with balance and coordination, according to centers for disease control and prevention.

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This category of medications includes common medications such as beta blockers (often used for heart conditions), anticholinergics (used for allergies, bladder or depression problems) and even proton pump inhibitors (for acid reflux), which may not cause falls directly, but can worsen the lesions if a fall occurs.

The most worrisome frids, according to Farley, are those that act on the brain and the nervous system, including the following.

• Opioids (analgesics)
• Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers and sleeping aids)
• Gabapentinoides (such as gabapentin, often prescribed for nervous pain)
• Antidepressants

“The discussion about the risk versus the benefit is better to have a primary care doctor who really knows the patient and its specific risk factors.”

“The easiest way to think about medications that increase the risk of falls is any medication that changes the ability of a person to clearly perceive and navigate,” said Dr. Kenneth J. Perry, a doctor based in South Carolina, to News Digital. “Stop or walk without falling requires great coordination between different parts of a person’s body.”

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Previous frids studies suggest a bond with a higher risk of falling.

In a Swiss study last year, a group of people over 74 years and older were tracked for three years. Those who took some Fridt were 13% more likely to fall, 15% more likely to suffer a harmful fall and 12% more likely to fall several times.

For those who take multiple frids, the risks were even higher, with 22% more total falls and 33% more harmful falls.

“Reducing unnecessary income could be a simple but powerful way to reduce fall rates and help older people remain safe, independent and active as they age,” the researchers wrote in the study, published in BMC Geriatrics.

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There are some limitations for these studies, according to Perry.

“Many times, there are obvious associations between the two elements, but that does not mean that there is a specific causality,” he told News Digital. “Although what seems to be a logical conclusion of friduous that are the cause of augmented falls, it is difficult to make such a statement without further study.”

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Perry emphasized that older people should not necessarily avoid medications completely.

“There is always an associated risk of taking any medication, but the intention is to ensure that the benefits exceed risks,” he said. “The discussion about the risk versus the benefit is better to have a primary care doctor who really knows the patient and its specific risk factors.”