Risco de queda associado ao uso de medicamentos em idosos da comunidade

Abstract

Falls are multifactorial events, where medication use is an important modifiable risk factor. The risk of falling increases with the aging process and is related to a series of consequences such as reduced functionality, injuries, fractures, hospital admissions, morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of falling associated with the use of medication in elderly people living in the community in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. This was an observational, cross-sectional study carried out through individual interviews. The variables evaluated were: participant profile and social, clinical and medication histories. Furthermore, the Medication Fall Risk Score scale was applied. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, through opinion no. 5,839,799. Fifty elderly people with an average age of 66 years (±5.35) participated in the study, the majority were female (n=36; 72.0%), with complete higher education (n=15; 30.0%), practicing of physical exercise (n=39; 78.0%), without any physical limitations (n=34; 68.0%), and without a caregiver (n=47; 94.0%). In total, 29 medications (22.3%) associated with the risk of falling were identified in prescriptions. The most prescribed were losartan potassium (n=x; 23.5%), amlodipine besylate (n=x; 9.8%), valsartan (7.8%), metoprolol succinate (7.8%) and hydrochlorothiazide (7.8%). Considering the total number of medications associated with the risk of falling identified in prescriptions, 12 (36.4%), 5 (15.2%) and 15 (48.5%) were of high, intermediate and low risk of falling, respectively. Ten elderly people (20.0%) were classified as having a high risk of falling associated with the use of medications. The results showed that the use of medications associated with the risk of falling was common among the elderly participants in this study, since the majority were using at least one medication associated with the risk of falling. The importance of the role of pharmacists in community pharmacies and Primary Health Care in assessing and managing, through health education, the risk of falls associated with the use of medications in the elderly population is suggested.