Medical Dialogues
  • Dermatology
Login Register
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
Login Register
  • MD Brand Connect
  • Vaccine Hub
  • MDTV
    • Breaking News
    • Medical News Today
    • Health News Today
    • Latest
    • Journal Club
    • Medico Legal Update
    • Latest Webinars
    • MD Shorts
    • Health Dialogues
  • Fact Check
  • Health Dialogues
Medical Dialogues
  • Medical News & Guidelines
      • Anesthesiology
      • Cardiology and CTVS
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diabetes and Endocrinology
      • ENT
      • Gastroenterology
      • Medicine
      • Nephrology
      • Neurology
      • Obstretics-Gynaecology
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopaedics
      • Pediatrics-Neonatology
      • Psychiatry
      • Pulmonology
      • Radiology
      • Surgery
      • Urology
      • Laboratory Medicine
      • Diet
      • Nursing
      • Paramedical
      • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
      • Doctor News
      • Government Policies
      • Hospital & Diagnostics
      • International Health News
      • Medical Organization News
      • Medico Legal News
      • NBE News
      • NMC News
  • Fact Check
      • Bone Health Fact Check
      • Brain Health Fact Check
      • Cancer Related Fact Check
      • Child Care Fact Check
      • Dental and oral health fact check
      • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
      • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
      • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
      • Fitness fact check
      • Gut health fact check
      • Heart health fact check
      • Kidney health fact check
      • Medical education fact check
      • Men's health fact check
      • Respiratory fact check
      • Skin and hair care fact check
      • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
      • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
    • Homeopathy
    • Siddha
    • Unani
    • Yoga
  • State News
      • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
      • Andhra Pradesh
      • Arunachal Pradesh
      • Assam
      • Bihar
      • Chandigarh
      • Chattisgarh
      • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
      • Daman and Diu
      • Delhi
      • Goa
      • Gujarat
      • Haryana
      • Himachal Pradesh
      • Jammu & Kashmir
      • Jharkhand
      • Karnataka
      • Kerala
      • Ladakh
      • Lakshadweep
      • Madhya Pradesh
      • Maharashtra
      • Manipur
      • Meghalaya
      • Mizoram
      • Nagaland
      • Odisha
      • Puducherry
      • Punjab
      • Rajasthan
      • Sikkim
      • Tamil Nadu
      • Telangana
      • Tripura
      • Uttar Pradesh
      • Uttrakhand
      • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
      • Ayush Education News
      • Dentistry Education News
      • Medical Admission News
      • Medical Colleges News
      • Medical Courses News
      • Medical Universities News
      • Nursing education News
      • Paramedical Education News
      • Study Abroad
  • Industry
      • Health Investment News
      • Health Startup News
      • Medical Devices News
      • Pharma News
      • Pharmacy Education News
      • Industry Perspective
  • MDTV
      • Health Dialogues MDTV
      • Health News today MDTV
      • Latest Videos MDTV
      • Latest Webinars MDTV
      • MD shorts MDTV
      • Medical News Today MDTV
      • Medico Legal Update MDTV
      • Top Videos MDTV
      • Health Perspectives MDTV
      • Journal Club MDTV
      • Medical Dialogues Show
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
LoginRegister
Medical Dialogues
LoginRegister
  • Home
  • Medical news & Guidelines
    • Anesthesiology
    • Cardiology and CTVS
    • Critical Care
    • Dentistry
    • Dermatology
    • Diabetes and Endocrinology
    • ENT
    • Gastroenterology
    • Medicine
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstretics-Gynaecology
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Orthopaedics
    • Pediatrics-Neonatology
    • Psychiatry
    • Pulmonology
    • Radiology
    • Surgery
    • Urology
    • Laboratory Medicine
    • Diet
    • Nursing
    • Paramedical
    • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
    • Doctor News
    • Government Policies
    • Hospital & Diagnostics
    • International Health News
    • Medical Organization News
    • Medico Legal News
    • NBE News
    • NMC News
  • Fact Check
    • Bone Health Fact Check
    • Brain Health Fact Check
    • Cancer Related Fact Check
    • Child Care Fact Check
    • Dental and oral health fact check
    • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
    • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
    • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
    • Fitness fact check
    • Gut health fact check
    • Heart health fact check
    • Kidney health fact check
    • Medical education fact check
    • Men's health fact check
    • Respiratory fact check
    • Skin and hair care fact check
    • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
    • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
      • Ayurveda Giuidelines
      • Ayurveda News
    • Homeopathy
      • Homeopathy Guidelines
      • Homeopathy News
    • Siddha
      • Siddha Guidelines
      • Siddha News
    • Unani
      • Unani Guidelines
      • Unani News
    • Yoga
      • Yoga Guidelines
      • Yoga News
  • State News
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chandigarh
    • Chattisgarh
    • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
    • Daman and Diu
    • Delhi
    • Goa
    • Gujarat
    • Haryana
    • Himachal Pradesh
    • Jammu & Kashmir
    • Jharkhand
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Ladakh
    • Lakshadweep
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Maharashtra
    • Manipur
    • Meghalaya
    • Mizoram
    • Nagaland
    • Odisha
    • Puducherry
    • Punjab
    • Rajasthan
    • Sikkim
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
    • Tripura
    • Uttar Pradesh
    • Uttrakhand
    • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
    • Ayush Education News
    • Dentistry Education News
    • Medical Admission News
    • Medical Colleges News
    • Medical Courses News
    • Medical Universities News
    • Nursing education News
    • Paramedical Education News
    • Study Abroad
  • Industry
    • Health Investment News
    • Health Startup News
    • Medical Devices News
    • Pharma News
      • CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) News
    • Pharmacy Education News
    • Industry Perspective
  • Home
  • Neurology and Neurosurgery
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery News
  • Pain medication use...

Pain medication use may increase falls risk in patients with cognitive impairment: Study

Written By : Medha Baranwal |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2021-06-08T09:00:49+05:30  |  Updated On 9 Jun 2021 2:46 PM IST
Pain medication use may increase falls risk in patients with cognitive impairment: Study
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Email

These results support that the risk of falls associated with pain medication is elevated among those with higher levels of cognitive impairment.

USA: The researchers found that among the 7,491 community-dwelling participants in the study, 8.3 percent had possible dementia while 8.2 percent had probable dementia. The study results are published in the journal Age and Aging.

Older adults with cognitive impairment are two to three times more likely to fall compared with those without cognitive impairment. What's more, the increasing use of pain medications for chronic pain by older adults adds to their falls risk. Risks associated with falls include minor bruising to more serious hip fractures, broken bones and even head injuries. With falls a leading cause of injury for people aged 65 and older, it is an important public health issue to study in order to allow these adults increased safety and independence as they age.

Although elevated risk of falls due to use of pain medication by older adults has been widely studied, less is known about how pain medication use affects falls risk of older adults living with cognitive impairment. Researchers at Texas A&M University examined a national sample to identify the relationship between pain medication use and falls among older adults based on their cognitive status. The team included Texas A&M Health Center for Population Health and Aging postdoctoral research associate, Aya Yoshikawa, DrPH; center co-director Matthew Lee Smith, PhD, MPH; and center founding director Marcia G. Ory, PhD, MPH.

Using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), the team analyzed associations between pain medication use and recent falls by cognitive status. The data used were self-reported measures except for cognitive test scores, which were derived from the NHATS validated algorithm based on physician diagnosis, cognitive domain (memory, orientation and executive function) test scores, and AD8 Dementia Screening Interview test scores.

Falls were identified as "yes" or "no" answers to the definition of "any fall, slip, or trip in which you lose your balance and land on the floor or ground or at a lower level" in the past month. Frequency of taking pain medication in the past month was identified as seven days a week, five to six days a week, two to four days a week, once a week or less, and never. Information about specific pain medications was not identified in this study.

Additional measures included age, race/ethnicity, education, living arrangement, balance or coordination problems, being bothered by pain, and number of chronic conditions.

The researchers found that among the 7,491 community-dwelling participants in the study, 8.3 percent had possible dementia while 8.2 percent had probable dementia.

"Although there was no significant difference in being bothered by pain by cognitive status, people living with dementia took medication for pain more frequently than those with no dementia," Yoshikawa said. "Older age, not non-Hispanic white race/ethnicity, lower levels of education, living alone, and having more chronic conditions were associated with people living with dementia versus those with no dementia. People living with dementia were more likely to report at least one fall in the past month and worry about falling down and balance/coordination."

In addition, researchers found an increased likelihood of recent falls was associated with pain medication among persons with probable dementia, and that taking pain medication two days a week or more was also associated with an increased risk of falls among those with probable dementia.

"These results support that the risk of falls associated with pain medication is elevated among those with higher levels of cognitive impairment," Yoshikawa said. "The different relationships of pain medication with falls by cognitive status can be partly explained by the severity of cognitive impairment among older adults."

Finally, the researchers note that the findings in this study have practical implications for falls prevention strategies and programs.

"To address the risk of falls associated with pain medication, especially for probable dementia, it is essential to conduct screening and medication reconciliation in the health care system. The provision of education about pain medication and alternative pain management programs is critical to preventing falls," Yoshikawa said. "There is need for fall prevention programs that encourage both exercise training for improving one's balance and reducing worry about falling down through fall management strategies."

Reference:

The study titled, 'Differential risk of falls associated with pain medication among community-dwelling older adults by cognitive status," is published in the journal Age and Aging.

DOI: https://academic.oup.com/ageing/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ageing/afab051/6188491

dementiacognitive impairmentfallspain medicationjournal Age and Aging
Source : Age and Aging
Medha Baranwal
Medha Baranwal

    MSc. Biotechnology

    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

    Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

    Show Full Article
    Next Story

    Editorial

    Identifying Candidates for Aspirin in Primary Prevention: Men Aged 40-50 with Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, and Familial ASCVD Risk

    Identifying Candidates for Aspirin in Primary Prevention: Men Aged 40-50 with Hypertension,...

    Featured image representing thinking

    Is Pharma Marketing Going Through "Thinking Recession"?

    Beyond BMI: Why Pioglitazone Deserves a Place in Managing Thin-Fat Type 2 Diabetes in India

    Beyond BMI: Why Pioglitazone Deserves a Place in Managing 'Thin-Fat' Type 2 Diabetes in India

    How to Improve Adherence in Hypertensive Patients? Bridging the Gap with CONNECT Tool

    How to Improve Adherence in Hypertensive Patients? Bridging the Gap with CONNECT Tool

    Vestibular Migraine: Clinical Update and Role of Buccal Prochlorperazine

    Vestibular Migraine: Clinical Update and Role of Buccal Prochlorperazine

    View All

    Journal Club Today

    Role of Sunscreen in Children Dr. Tarun Anand Explains

    Role of Sunscreen in Children Dr. Tarun Anand Explains

    View All

    Health News Today

    Health Bulletin 1/July/ 2025

    Health Bulletin 1/July/ 2025

    View All
    © 2022 All Rights Reserved.
    Powered By: Hocalwire
    X
    We use cookies for analytics, advertising and to improve our site. You agree to our use of cookies by continuing to use our site. To know more, see our Cookie Policy and Cookie Settings.Ok