Polypharmacy and drug classes in fall risk among older adults

Abstract

Objective: To identify polypharmacy, including drug classes that, when used concomitantly, increase fall risk in older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional quantitative study included noninstitutionalized individuals aged ≥ 60 years living in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil. In the descriptive data analysis, the frequency distributions were evaluated and multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with fall risk. The ROC curve was used to determine the logistic model’s accuracy. Results: The fall rate was higher among women (73.30%) and the 70–79 year age group (42.50%). A total of 80.70% of the participants used ≥ 1 medication and 32.60% used 2–3 medications. According to the odds ratio calculation, use of medications with possible drug interactions increased the occurrence of falls by 47.00% in the last 12 months. The model’s accuracy was 55.00%. Conclusions: The results indicate that polypharmacy and the use of certain drug classes in older adults can lead to potential drug interactions, making them more susceptible to adverse events, such as postural hypotension, vertigo, dizziness, and loss of balance, all of which increase fall risk. Educational measures for older adults on correct medication use are needed.