Use of Medications with Anticholinergic Activity and Self‐Reported Injurious Falls in Older Community‐Dwelling Adults. Issue 8 (22nd July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Richardson, Kathryn; Bennett, Kathleen; Maidment, Ian D.; Fox, Chris; Smithard, David; Kenny, Rose Anne
• Is Part Of: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Volume 63:Issue 8(2015:Aug.)
• Page Start: 1561
• Page End: 1569
• Publication Date: 2015-07-22
• Subjects: Geriatrics -- Periodicals; 618.97
• DOI: 10.1111/jgs.13543
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-8614

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jgs13543-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="jgs13543-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objectives</title> <p>To assess the association between the use of medications with anticholinergic activity and the subsequent risk of injurious falls in older adults.</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs13543-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Design</title> <p>Prospective, population‐based study using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs13543-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Setting</title> <p>Irish population.</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs13543-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Participants</title> <p>Community‐dwelling men and women without dementia aged 65 and older (N = 2, 696).</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs13543-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Measurements</title> <p>Self‐reported injurious falls reported once approximately 2 years after baseline interview. Self‐reported regular medication use at baseline interview. Pharmacy dispensing records from the Irish Health Service Executive Primary Care Reimbursement Service in a subset (n = 1, 553).</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs13543-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Nine percent of men and 17% of women reported injurious falls. In men, the use of medications with definite anticholinergic activity was associated with greater risk of subsequent injurious falls (adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 2.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.33–4.88), but the risk of having any fall and the number of falls reported were not significantly greater. Greater anticholinergic burden was associated with greater injurious falls risk. No associations were observed for women. Findings were similar using pharmacy dispensing records. The aRR for medications with definite anticholinergic activity dispensed in the month before baseline and subsequent injurious falls in men was 2.53 (95% CI = 1.15–5.54).</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs13543-sec-0007" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>The regular use of medications with anticholinergic activity is associated with subsequent injurious falls in older men, although falls were self‐reported after a 2‐year recall and so may have been underreported. Further research is required to validate this finding in men and to consider the effect of duration and dose of anticholinergic medications.</p> </sec> </abstract>