Taking Two Or More Medications Increase Chances Of Falling

January 17, 2012
New data from a study conducted in New Zealand shows that taking two or more prescription medications increases the risks of being a victim of slip and fall accidents for working-age adults. According to an article by MedPage Today, use of hypertensives and cholesterol-lowering drugs presented the highest risks of falls to users.
The study examined 335 patients, between the ages of 25 and 60, who either died or were seriously injured and hospitalized following an unintentional fall while at home. Researchers also took into account some 352-control subjects whose records were randomly selected. Nurses then interviewed theses patients with a questionnaire and gathered information from records to collect data for the study.
They concluded that patients using two or more prescription medications had an increased risk of suffering from a serious fall of more than 10 percent. While numerous types of medications were examined, including: bronchodilators, anti-inflammatories, corticosteroids, and psychotropics; hypertensives and lipid-lowering medications were the only two types to show any connection to falls in this particular study.
Although researchers recognize the study has it’s limitations, they also say the research warrants a closer examination, “…that can disaggregate the effect of drugs relative to underlying conditions, as well as examine the effects of specific drugs, dosages, and their possible interactions.”
The Indiana slip and fall accident attorneys with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers urge patients taking several medications at one time to be fully aware of the side effects each medication has and also be cautious of dangerous drug interactions.