State Assembly member Mike Norris is working with Team Alice to host a program at The Dale Association next month about the dangers of overmedication. The program, aimed at residents
Study: 94% of older adults prescribed fall-risk-increasing drugs
Nearly every older adult was prescribed a prescription drug that increased their risk of falling in 2017, according to new University at Buffalo research.
The study found that the percentage of adults 65 and older who were prescribed a fall- risk-increasing drug climbed to 94% in 2017, a significant leap from 57% in 1999. The research also revealed that the rate of death caused by falls in older adults more than doubled during the same time period.
Even minor falls may be dangerous for older adults. Falls that are not fatal can still result in injuries - such as hip fractures and head traumas - that may drastically lower remaining quality of life. Each year, nearly $50 billion is spent on medical costs related to fall injuries among older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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BUFFALO, N.Y. - Nearly every older adult was prescribed a prescription drug that increased their risk of falling in 2017, according to new University at Buffalo research.
The study found that the percentage of adults 65 and older who were prescribed a fall- risk-increasing drug climbed to 94% in 2017, a significant leap from 57% in 1999. The research also revealed that the rate of death caused by falls in older adults more than doubled during the same time period.
Even minor falls may be dangerous for older adults. Falls that are not fatal can still result in injuries - such as hip fractures and head traumas - that may drastically lower remaining quality of life. Each year, nearly $50 billion is spent on medical costs related to fall injuries among older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The percentage of US adults 65 and older who received a prescription for a drug that increased their risk of falling rose to 94% in 2017 a significant leap from 57% in 1999, researchers report.
The research also shows that the rate of fall-caused deaths in older adults more than doubled during the same time period.
Even minor falls may be dangerous for older adults. Falls that are not fatal can still result in injuries such as hip fractures and head traumas that may drastically lower remaining quality of life. Each year, nearly $50 billion is spent on medical costs related to fall injuries among older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.