Prescription drugs linked to rise in fall-related deaths for seniors

For older adults, minor falls can pose major threats, as their risk of death after a fall has tripled in the U.S. over the last 30 years.

Some experts believe that certain medications — a category called fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) — could be to blame.

Dr. Thomas A. Farley, a Washington, D.C.–based public health expert, writes in the medical publication JAMA that lifestyle changes alone can’t explain the spike.

“There is plenty of reason to believe that the surge in fall deaths may be tied to the soaring use of certain prescription drugs,” he writes.

Farley noted that these drugs are widely used among older adults, and their use has grown over the past few decades.

“Cutting back on unnecessary FRIDs could be a simple but powerful way to reduce fall rates and help seniors remain safe, independent and active as they age,” the researchers wrote in the study, published in BMC Geriatrics.

What to know about FRIDs

FRIDs could make people more likely to fall because they can cause drowsiness, dizziness, slower reaction times or problems with balance and coordination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This category of medications includes common drugs such as beta-blockers (often used for heart conditions), anticholinergics (used for allergies, bladder issues or depression), and even proton pump inhibitors (for acid reflux), which may not directly cause falls, but can make injuries worse if a fall happens.

The most concerning FRIDs, according to Farley, are those that act on the brain and nervous system, including the following.

• Opioids (painkillers)
• Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers and sleep aids)
• Gabapentinoids (like gabapentin, often prescribed for nerve pain)
• Antidepressants

“The discussion of risk versus benefit is best to be had with a primary care physician who truly knows the patient and their specific risk factors.”

“The easiest way to think of medications that increase the risk of falls is any medication that changes a person’s ability to clearly perceive and navigate the world,” Dr. Kenneth J. Perry, a physician based in South Carolina, told Fox News Digital. “Standing or walking without falling takes a great deal of coordination between different parts of a person’s body.”

Previous studies of FRIDs suggest a link to an increased risk of falling.

In one Swiss study last year, a group of seniors 74 and older were tracked over three years. Those taking any FRID at all were 13% more likely to fall, 15% more likely to suffer an injurious fall and 12% more likely to fall multiple times.

For those taking multiple FRIDs, the risks were even higher, with 22% more total falls and 33% more injurious falls.

There are some limitations to these studies, according to Perry.

“Many times, there are obvious associations between the two items, but that does not mean that there is a specific causation,” he told Fox News Digital. “Although what appears to be a logical conclusion of FRIDs being the cause of the increased falls, it is difficult to truly make such a statement without further study.”

Perry emphasized that seniors shouldn’t necessarily avoid the medications altogether.

“There is always a risk associated with taking any medication, but the intent is to make sure that the benefits outweigh the risks,” he said. “The discussion of risk versus benefit is best to be had with a primary care physician who truly knows the patient and their specific risk factors.”