Citation

Just KS, Schneider KL, Schurig M, Stingl JC, Brockmöller J. Pharmacogenomics 2017; 18(13): 1281-1297.

Affiliation

Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Future Medicine)

DOI

10.2217/pgs-2017-0018

PMID

28776468

Abstract

Falls is a frequent type of adverse drug reactions causing significant morbidity and mortality in the elderly. We reviewed, with which drugs the risk of falls is relevant and might depend on genomic variation. Pharmacogenetic variability may contribute to drug-induced falls for instance mediated by impaired drug elimination due to inherited deficiency in enzymes like CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP2D6. The relative role of specific genes and polymorphisms in old age may differ from younger people. Biomarkers for frailty, but also genomic biomarkers might help identifying patients at high risk for drug-induced falls. Many other factors including disease and drug-drug interactions also contribute to risk of falls. Further studies analyzing the impact of genomic variation on the medication-related fall risk in the older adult are urgently needed.

Language: en

Keywords

adverse drug reaction; elderly; falls; old age; pharmacogenetics; pharmacogenomics