TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Potentially serious alcohol-medication interactions and falls in community-dwelling older adults: a prospective cohort study
JO  - Age and ageing
A1  - Holton, Alice
A1  - Boland, Fiona
A1  - Gallagher, Paul
A1  - Fahey, Tom
A1  - Moriarty, Frank
A1  - Kenny, Rose Anne
A1  - Cousins, Gráinne
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between potentially serious alcohol-medication interactions (POSAMINO criteria), hypothesised to increase the risk of falls in older adults, and falls in community-dwelling older adults at two and 4 years follow-up. <br><br>DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. SUBJECTS: A total of 1,457 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years, with a complete alcohol and regular medication data to allow for the application of the POSAMINO criteria. OUTCOMES: Self-reported falls at 2 and 4 years follow-up, any falls (yes/no), injurious falls (yes/no) and number of falls (count variable). <br><br>RESULTS: The number of participants who reported falling since their baseline interview at 2 and 4 years were 357 (24%) and 608 (41.8%), respectively; 145 (10%) reported an injurious fall at 2 years and 268 (18%) at 4 years. Median (IQR) number of falls was 1 (1-2) at 2 years and 2 (1-3) at 4 years. Exposure to CNS POSAMINO criteria, hypothesised to increase the risk of falls due primarily to increased sedation, was associated with a significantly increased risk for falling (adjusted relative risk (RR) 1.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-1.88) and for injurious falls (adjusted RR 1.62, 95% CI: 1.03-2.55) at 4 years. These equate to an absolute risk of 19% for falling (95% CI: 5-33%) and 8% for injurious falls (95% CI, 4-20%) at 4 years. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Assessment and management strategies to prevent falls in community-dwelling older adults should consider patients' alcohol consumption alongside their assessment of patient medications, particularly among those receiving CNS agents.<br><br>© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0002-0729
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afz112
ID  - ref1
ER  -