Fall Risk-Increasing Drugs and Gait Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Results from the Gait and Brain Study
Abstract
Medication use and gait impairment are two of the most important risk factors for falls. Several drug classes have been classified as fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs). Gait is an important marker of overall health and independence in older adults. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine the relationship between FRIDs and gait performance in older adults through two studies. Firstly, our systematic review of twenty studies on the association between FRIDs and gait performance found that the use of drugs with sedative properties is associated with reduced gait speed. Secondly, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Gait and Brain Study. We found that among community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years old and over, diuretic use was associated with significantly reduced gait speed and statin use was associated with significantly increased stride time variability. Future longitudinal studies are required to determine the clinical relevance of our findings.