Book contents
- Falls in Older People
- Falls in Older People
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Falls
- 1 Epidemiology of Falls and Fall-Related Injuries
- 2 Postural Stability and Falls
- 3 Gait Characteristics and Falls
- 4 Sensory and Neuromuscular Risk Factors for Falls
- 5 Biomechanics of Balance and Falling
- 6 Foot Problems, Footwear, and Falls
- 7 Brain Function and Falls
- 8 Impaired Cognition and Falls
- 9 The Psychology of Fall Risk: Fear, Anxiety, Depression, and Balance Confidence
- 10 Medical Risk Factors for Falls
- 11 Medications as Risk Factors for Falls
- 12 Environmental Risk Factors for Falls
- 13 Fall Detection and Risk Assessment with New Technologies
- 14 Fall Risk Screening and Assessment
- 15 The Relative Importance of Fall Risk Factors: Analysis and Summary
- Part II Strategies for Prevention
- Part III Implications for Practice
- Index
- References
11 - Medications as Risk Factors for Falls
from Part I - Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Falls
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 November 2021
Book contents
- Falls in Older People
- Falls in Older People
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Falls
- 1 Epidemiology of Falls and Fall-Related Injuries
- 2 Postural Stability and Falls
- 3 Gait Characteristics and Falls
- 4 Sensory and Neuromuscular Risk Factors for Falls
- 5 Biomechanics of Balance and Falling
- 6 Foot Problems, Footwear, and Falls
- 7 Brain Function and Falls
- 8 Impaired Cognition and Falls
- 9 The Psychology of Fall Risk: Fear, Anxiety, Depression, and Balance Confidence
- 10 Medical Risk Factors for Falls
- 11 Medications as Risk Factors for Falls
- 12 Environmental Risk Factors for Falls
- 13 Fall Detection and Risk Assessment with New Technologies
- 14 Fall Risk Screening and Assessment
- 15 The Relative Importance of Fall Risk Factors: Analysis and Summary
- Part II Strategies for Prevention
- Part III Implications for Practice
- Index
- References
Summary
Medications have long been implicated as an iatrogenic cause of falls and fractures, with several prospective cohort studies providing support for a link between medications and falls. This chapter discusses the pharmacology of ageing and the potential physiological mechanisms by which medications may impair postural stability. Specific drug classes strongly associated with falls are highlighted and the role of optimization prescribing in relation to polypharmacy is explored.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Falls in Older PeopleRisk Factors, Strategies for Prevention and Implications for Practice, pp. 192 - 201Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
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