94 Percent of Older Adults Prescribed Drugs That Raise Risk of Falling

A new University at Buffalo (UB) study published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety found that the percentage of adults 65 and older prescribed a drug that increased their risk of falling grew from 57 percent in 1999 to 94 percent in 2017, reports University at Buffalo News . Moreover, the rate of death caused by falls in older adults more than doubled. Fall-risk-elevating drugs include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, antihypertensives, opioids, sedative hypnotics, benzodiazepines, and other nonprescription medications. Over the study period more than 7.8 billion fall-risk-increasing drug orders were filled by older adults in the United States, with most prescriptions for antihypertensives — although a sharp rise in the use of antidepressants was observed as well. Women, especially Black women, also were more likely than men to be prescribed fall-risk-increasing drugs. UB's Amy Shaver said the findings highlight the importance of interventions to de-prescribe potentially unsuitable drugs among older, frailer patients.