@article{ref1,
title="Polypharmacy including falls risk-increasing medications and subsequent falls in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults",
journal="Age and ageing",
year="2014",
author="Richardson, Kathryn and Bennett, Kathleen and Kenny, Rose Anne",
volume="44",
number="1",
pages="90-96",
abstract="BACKGROUND: polypharmacy is an important risk factor for falls, but recent studies suggest only when including medications associated with increasing the risk of falls. <br><br>DESIGN: a prospective, population-based cohort study. SUBJECTS: 6,666 adults aged ≥50 years from The Irish Longitudinal study on Ageing. <br><br>METHODS: participants reported regular medication use at baseline. Any subsequent falls, any injurious falls and the number of falls were reported 2 years later. The association between polypharmacy (>4 medications) or fall risk-increasing medications and subsequent falls or injurious falls was assessed using modified Poisson regression. The association with the number of falls was assessed using negative binomial regression. <br><br>RESULTS: during follow-up, 231 falls per 1,000 person-years were reported. Polypharmacy including antidepressants was associated with a greater risk of any fall (adjusted relative risk (aRR) 1.28, 95% CI 1.06-1.54), of injurious falls (aRR 1.51, 95% CI 1.10-2.07) and a greater number of falls (adjusted incident rate ratio (aIRR) 1.60, 95% CI 1.19-2.15), but antidepressant use without polypharmacy and polypharmacy without antidepressants were not. The use of benzodiazepines was associated with injurious falls when coupled with polypharmacy (aRR 1.40, 95% CI 1.04-1.87), but was associated with a greater number of falls (aIRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.05-1.65), independent of polypharmacy. Other medications assessed, including antihypertensives, diuretics and antipsychotics, were not associated with outcomes. <br><br>CONCLUSION: in middle-aged and older adults, polypharmacy, including antidepressant or benzodiazepine use, was associated with injurious falls and a greater number of falls.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0002-0729",
doi="10.1093/ageing/afu141",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afu141"
}