%0 Journal Article
%T Medications & Polypharmacy Influence on Recurrent Fallers in Community: a Systematic Review
%A Aleksandra Zecevic
%A Yu Ming
%J Archive of "Canadian Geriatrics Journal".
%D 2018
%R 10.5770/cgj.21.268
%X The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize information about the impact different classes of medications and polypharmacy have on recurrent falls, defined as two or more falls in a 12-month period, in community-dwelling older adults. After adjustment for confounders such as age, gender, weight or depression symptoms, the reviewed studies suggested that older adults who use antidepressants, sedatives or hypnotics and anti-epileptics were more likely to experience recurrent falls than non-users. Polypharmacy (use of four or more prescription medications daily) caused 1.5¨C2 times higher possibility of recurrent falls in older adults. As a high-risk group, recurrent fallers require meaningful intervention. Medications are believed to be a modifiable risk factor in falls prevention; hence, special consideration should be taken to balance the benefit and harm in initiating, continuing or increasing certain classes of medications in elderly recurrent fallers
%K recurrent falls
%K medications
%K drugs
%K polypharmacy
%K older adults
%U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5864570/