Table 3.
Fall risk-increasing drugs prescribed to fallers and matched controls.
| Fallers (n = 210) |
Controls (n = 410) |
P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of medications | 8.5 ± 4.55 | 6.6 ± 4.37 | < 0.001 |
| Number of FRID | 2.6 ± 2.10 | 1.8 ± 1.87 | < 0.001 |
| FRID | |||
| Digoxin | 6 (2.9%) | 8 (2.0%) | 0.472 |
| Beta blockers | 29 (13.8%) | 44 (10.7%) | 0.26 |
| Calcium channel blockers | 46 (21.9%) | 49 (12.0%) | 0.001 |
| ACE inhibitors or ARBs | 46 (21.9%) | 70 (17.1%) | 0.158 |
| Loop diuretics | 33 (15.7%) | 48 (11.7%) | 0.161 |
| Diuretics (thiazides or spironolactone) | 21 (10.0%) | 18 (4.4%) | 0.006 |
| Alpha blockers | 26 (12.4%) | 56 (13.7%) | 0.657 |
| Anticholinergics | 24 (11.4%) | 46 (11.2%) | 0.938 |
| Antihistamines | 18 (8.6%) | 25 (6.1%) | 0.251 |
| Weak opioids | 40 (19.0%) | 77 (18.8%) | 0.936 |
| Opioids | 24 (11.4%) | 51 (12.4%) | 0.715 |
| Antipsychotics | 36 (17.1%) | 45 (11.0%) | 0.031 |
| Anticonvulsants | 55 (26.2%) | 49 (12.0%) | < 0.001 |
| Benzodiazepines | 21 (10.0%) | 17 (4.1%) | 0.004 |
| Hypnotics | 7 (3.3%) | 6 (1.5%) | 0.124 |
| Anti-dementia drugs | 7 (3.3%) | 9 (2.2%) | 0.398 |
| Antiparkinsonians | 8 (3.9%) | 3 (0.7%) | 0.009 |
| SSRIs or SNRIs | 14 (6.7%) | 18 (4.4%) | 0.225 |
| TCAs | 8 (3.8%) | 10 (2.4%) | 0.336 |
| Other antidepressants | 5 (2.4%) | 9 (2.2%) | 0.883 |
| Muscle relaxants | 15 (7.1%) | 19 (4.6%) | 0.194 |
| Vasodilating agents | 14 (6.7%) | 22 (5.4%) | 0.512 |
| Polypharmacy (≥ 5 medications) | 167 (79.5%) | 270 (65.9%) | < 0.001 |
| Medication change on the day before falls | 0.099 | ||
| Inclusion of FRID | 76 (36.2%) | 115 (28.0%) | |
| Withdrawal of FRID | 15 (7.14%) | 36 (8.78%) |
Data are means (standard deviation) or frequencies (percentage), as appropriate.
ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; ARBs, angiotensin II receptor Antagonists; FRID, fall risk-increasing drugs; SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; SNRIs, serotonin norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors; TCAs; tricyclic antidepressants.