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Psychotropic drugs and falling accidents among the elderly: a nested case control study in the whole population of Scania, Sweden.

Modén, Birgit LU ; Merlo, Juan LU orcid ; Ohlsson, Henrik LU and Rosvall, Maria LU (2010) In Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 64(5). p.440-446
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between medication with psychotropic drugs and falling accidents in the whole population aged 65 years and older in the county of Scania, Sweden. DESIGN: A population based nested case control study was performed. SUBJECTS: Cases were persons registered in the Region Healthcare database after a falling accident during the year 2006 (n=10 482). One control was matched to each case based on age, sex, date of the falling accident, living area and propensity score (based on prevalent disease). MAIN RESULTS: Using psychotropic drugs within 3 months before the fall was associated with a more than doubled odds for a falling accident among both men (2.14, 95% CI 1.87... (More)
STUDY OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between medication with psychotropic drugs and falling accidents in the whole population aged 65 years and older in the county of Scania, Sweden. DESIGN: A population based nested case control study was performed. SUBJECTS: Cases were persons registered in the Region Healthcare database after a falling accident during the year 2006 (n=10 482). One control was matched to each case based on age, sex, date of the falling accident, living area and propensity score (based on prevalent disease). MAIN RESULTS: Using psychotropic drugs within 3 months before the fall was associated with a more than doubled odds for a falling accident among both men (2.14, 95% CI 1.87 to 2.44) and women (2.21, 95% CI 2.04 to 2.39). The use of psychotropic drugs during the week before the accident occurred was associated with an even higher odds for a falling accident among both men (OR=5.61; 95% CI 2.54 to 12.41) and women (OR=3.40; 95% CI 2.24 to 5.17). A similar pattern of association was seen for specific groups of psychotropic drugs: opioids, antidepressants and anxiolytics/hypnotics/sedatives. CONCLUSIONS: The use of psychotropic drugs increased the odds for a falling accident among persons 65 years and older. Generally, patients using psychotropic drugs seemed to have the highest odds for falling accidents immediately after initiating therapy. Since these medications are extensively used among the elderly, the increased risk for falls associated with these kinds of drugs is an important public health problem that could be tackled by a more rational medication use. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
volume
64
issue
5
pages
440 - 446
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • wos:000277323700012
  • pmid:20445213
  • scopus:77952071888
  • pmid:20445213
ISSN
1470-2738
DOI
10.1136/jech.2009.098947
project
Social Pharmacoepidemiology
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b8cf6d1f-b53c-42b3-b72e-9a5a2904a6b1 (old id 1610582)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20445213?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 08:55:59
date last changed
2022-01-29 07:50:26
@article{b8cf6d1f-b53c-42b3-b72e-9a5a2904a6b1,
  abstract     = {{STUDY OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between medication with psychotropic drugs and falling accidents in the whole population aged 65 years and older in the county of Scania, Sweden. DESIGN: A population based nested case control study was performed. SUBJECTS: Cases were persons registered in the Region Healthcare database after a falling accident during the year 2006 (n=10 482). One control was matched to each case based on age, sex, date of the falling accident, living area and propensity score (based on prevalent disease). MAIN RESULTS: Using psychotropic drugs within 3 months before the fall was associated with a more than doubled odds for a falling accident among both men (2.14, 95% CI 1.87 to 2.44) and women (2.21, 95% CI 2.04 to 2.39). The use of psychotropic drugs during the week before the accident occurred was associated with an even higher odds for a falling accident among both men (OR=5.61; 95% CI 2.54 to 12.41) and women (OR=3.40; 95% CI 2.24 to 5.17). A similar pattern of association was seen for specific groups of psychotropic drugs: opioids, antidepressants and anxiolytics/hypnotics/sedatives. CONCLUSIONS: The use of psychotropic drugs increased the odds for a falling accident among persons 65 years and older. Generally, patients using psychotropic drugs seemed to have the highest odds for falling accidents immediately after initiating therapy. Since these medications are extensively used among the elderly, the increased risk for falls associated with these kinds of drugs is an important public health problem that could be tackled by a more rational medication use.}},
  author       = {{Modén, Birgit and Merlo, Juan and Ohlsson, Henrik and Rosvall, Maria}},
  issn         = {{1470-2738}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{440--446}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health}},
  title        = {{Psychotropic drugs and falling accidents among the elderly: a nested case control study in the whole population of Scania, Sweden.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech.2009.098947}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/jech.2009.098947}},
  volume       = {{64}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}