In a new study, researchers found that nearly every older adult was prescribed a prescription drug that increased their risk of falling in 2017.
They found that the percentage of adults 65 and older who were prescribed a fall- risk-increasing drug climbed to 94% in 2017, a significant leap from 57% in 1999.
They also revealed that the rate of death caused by falls in older adults more than doubled during the same time period.
The research was conducted by a team from the University at Buffalo.
Even minor falls may be dangerous for older adults. Falls that are not fatal can still result in injuries – such as hip fractures and head traumas – that may drastically lower the remaining quality of life.
Each year, nearly $50 billion is spent on medical costs related to fall injuries among older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the study, the team examined data on deaths due to falls and prescription fills among people 65 and older.
Fall-risk-increasing drugs include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, antihypertensives (for high blood pressure), opioids, sedative-hypnotics, and benzodiazepines (tranquilizers such as Valium and Xanax), as well as other nonprescription medications.
They found that from 1999-2017, more than 7.8 billion fall-risk-increasing drug orders were filled by older adults in the United States. The majority of the prescriptions were for antihypertensives.
However, there was also a sharp rise in the use of antidepressants, from 12 million prescriptions in 1999 to more than 52 million in 2017.
The team says the rise in the use of antidepressant medications seen in this study is likely related to the use of these agents as safer alternatives to older medications for conditions such as depression and anxiety.
However, it is important to note that these medications are still linked to increased risks of falls and fractures among older adults.
Women were also found more likely than men to be prescribed fall-risk-increasing drugs, particularly Black women, who received the medications at the highest rate compared to women of other races.
White women who were 85 and older experienced the largest increase in deaths from falls, rising 160% between 1999 and 2017.
One author of the study is Amy Shaver, PharmD.
The study is published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.
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