Withdrawal of psychotropic drugs decreases the risk of falls requiring treatment

Abstract This non-randomized, controlled trial assessed the effects of ceasing fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) (psychotropics or opiates or potent anticholinergics) on the risk of falls requiring medical treatment as a sub-analysis of a randomized, controlled multifactorial fall prevention. The p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of gerontology and geriatrics 2012-01, Vol.54 (1), p.160-167
Main Authors: Salonoja, M, Salminen, M, Vahlberg, T, Aarnio, P, Kivelä, S.-L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidental Falls - prevention & control
Acetylcholine receptors
Aged
Benzodiazepine
clinical trials
Community living
Confidence intervals
Drug abuse
Drugs
Falls
Female
Geriatrics
Historical account
Humans
Immunoglobulins
Internal Medicine
intervention
Male
medical records
Medical treatment
Medical treatment requiring falls
Opiates
Psychotropic drugs
Psychotropic Drugs - adverse effects
Relative risks
Risk assessment
Risk factor for falls
Risk Factors
risk reduction
Withdrawal
Withholding Treatment
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Summary:Abstract This non-randomized, controlled trial assessed the effects of ceasing fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) (psychotropics or opiates or potent anticholinergics) on the risk of falls requiring medical treatment as a sub-analysis of a randomized, controlled multifactorial fall prevention. The population in this 12-month study consisted of 528 community-dwelling subjects aged 65 years or older with a history of at least one fall. The subjects were divided retrospectively into three groups according to the use of any FRID, any psychotropic drug, and benzodiazepine or related drug (BZD/BZDRD). The subjects in the intervention group (IG) ceasing the drug use were compared with the subjects in IG and the control group (CG) not ceasing the use of the corresponding type of drugs during the intervention period. Falls were recorded from medical records. For the year after the 12-month intervention the relative risk ratio (with 95% confidence intervals = CI) for controls in CG compared with the withdrawal group in IG was 8.26 (1.07–63.73) among the users of psychotropics and 8.11 (1.03–63.60) among the users of BZDs/BZDRDs. Withdrawal of psychotropics, especially BZDs/BZDRDs may have played an important role by lowering the risk of falls requiring medical treatment during the year after the 12-month multifactorial intervention.
ISSN:0167-4943
1872-6976
DOI:10.1016/j.archger.2011.02.015