Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2000 |
Outros Autores: | , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Revista de Saúde Pública |
Texto Completo: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102000000600011 |
Resumo: | INTRODUCTION: Population aging in Brazil has increased the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease) and affective disorders (anxiety, depression), all common in old age. A retrospective study was carried out with the purpose of ascertaining if there is an association between falls and psychoactive medication use among older residents of a community in Brazil. METHODS: All residents aged 65+ (n=161) of one neighborhood of Campo Belo, Brazil (population of 48,000) were evaluated regarding the use of psychoactive drugs and the occurrence of falls in the 12 months preceding the study. Vision and hearing screenings were also performed. RESULTS: From the study population, 9.3% were taking prolonged half-life benzodiazepines, 4.4% anticonvulsants (mostly barbiturates), 2.5% antidepressants (all cyclics) and 8.1% alpha-methyldopa. No subject reported use of hypnotics, neuroleptics or drugs to treat Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases (except biperiden). As a whole, drugs that increase the risk of falls were used by 1/5 of this population. In the 12-month period preceding the study, 27 residents (16.8%) experienced falls and, of those, 4 (14.8%) had fracture(s). There was an independent association between psychoactive drug use and falls when variables such as age, gender, vision and hearing were controlled (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Although the population of this neighborhood must be considered young (only 4% are 65 years old or more), there are already problems related to the use of psychoactive drugs among people. Prescribed anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants and antihypertensives are not appropriate for this age group and their use is associated with falls. |
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Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in BrazilAgedAccidental fallsPsychotropic drugsAging healthMental healthPsychotropic drugs/therapeutic useINTRODUCTION: Population aging in Brazil has increased the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease) and affective disorders (anxiety, depression), all common in old age. A retrospective study was carried out with the purpose of ascertaining if there is an association between falls and psychoactive medication use among older residents of a community in Brazil. METHODS: All residents aged 65+ (n=161) of one neighborhood of Campo Belo, Brazil (population of 48,000) were evaluated regarding the use of psychoactive drugs and the occurrence of falls in the 12 months preceding the study. Vision and hearing screenings were also performed. RESULTS: From the study population, 9.3% were taking prolonged half-life benzodiazepines, 4.4% anticonvulsants (mostly barbiturates), 2.5% antidepressants (all cyclics) and 8.1% alpha-methyldopa. No subject reported use of hypnotics, neuroleptics or drugs to treat Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases (except biperiden). As a whole, drugs that increase the risk of falls were used by 1/5 of this population. In the 12-month period preceding the study, 27 residents (16.8%) experienced falls and, of those, 4 (14.8%) had fracture(s). There was an independent association between psychoactive drug use and falls when variables such as age, gender, vision and hearing were controlled (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Although the population of this neighborhood must be considered young (only 4% are 65 years old or more), there are already problems related to the use of psychoactive drugs among people. Prescribed anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants and antihypertensives are not appropriate for this age group and their use is associated with falls.Faculdade de Saúde Pública da Universidade de São Paulo2000-12-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102000000600011Revista de Saúde Pública v.34 n.6 2000reponame:Revista de Saúde Públicainstname:Universidade de São Paulo (USP)instacron:USP10.1590/S0034-89102000000600011info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessChaimowicz,FlávioFerreira,Teresinha de Jesus Xavier MartinsMiguel,Denise Freire Assumpçãoeng2001-08-07T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S0034-89102000000600011Revistahttp://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_serial&pid=0034-8910&lng=pt&nrm=isoONGhttps://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.phprevsp@org.usp.br||revsp1@usp.br1518-87870034-8910opendoar:2001-08-07T00:00Revista de Saúde Pública - Universidade de São Paulo (USP)false |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil |
title |
Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil |
spellingShingle |
Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil Chaimowicz,Flávio Aged Accidental falls Psychotropic drugs Aging health Mental health Psychotropic drugs/therapeutic use |
title_short |
Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil |
title_full |
Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil |
title_fullStr |
Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil |
title_full_unstemmed |
Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil |
title_sort |
Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil |
author |
Chaimowicz,Flávio |
author_facet |
Chaimowicz,Flávio Ferreira,Teresinha de Jesus Xavier Martins Miguel,Denise Freire Assumpção |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Ferreira,Teresinha de Jesus Xavier Martins Miguel,Denise Freire Assumpção |
author2_role |
author author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Chaimowicz,Flávio Ferreira,Teresinha de Jesus Xavier Martins Miguel,Denise Freire Assumpção |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Aged Accidental falls Psychotropic drugs Aging health Mental health Psychotropic drugs/therapeutic use |
topic |
Aged Accidental falls Psychotropic drugs Aging health Mental health Psychotropic drugs/therapeutic use |
description |
INTRODUCTION: Population aging in Brazil has increased the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease) and affective disorders (anxiety, depression), all common in old age. A retrospective study was carried out with the purpose of ascertaining if there is an association between falls and psychoactive medication use among older residents of a community in Brazil. METHODS: All residents aged 65+ (n=161) of one neighborhood of Campo Belo, Brazil (population of 48,000) were evaluated regarding the use of psychoactive drugs and the occurrence of falls in the 12 months preceding the study. Vision and hearing screenings were also performed. RESULTS: From the study population, 9.3% were taking prolonged half-life benzodiazepines, 4.4% anticonvulsants (mostly barbiturates), 2.5% antidepressants (all cyclics) and 8.1% alpha-methyldopa. No subject reported use of hypnotics, neuroleptics or drugs to treat Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases (except biperiden). As a whole, drugs that increase the risk of falls were used by 1/5 of this population. In the 12-month period preceding the study, 27 residents (16.8%) experienced falls and, of those, 4 (14.8%) had fracture(s). There was an independent association between psychoactive drug use and falls when variables such as age, gender, vision and hearing were controlled (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Although the population of this neighborhood must be considered young (only 4% are 65 years old or more), there are already problems related to the use of psychoactive drugs among people. Prescribed anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants and antihypertensives are not appropriate for this age group and their use is associated with falls. |
publishDate |
2000 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2000-12-01 |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102000000600011 |
url |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102000000600011 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
10.1590/S0034-89102000000600011 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
text/html |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Faculdade de Saúde Pública da Universidade de São Paulo |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Faculdade de Saúde Pública da Universidade de São Paulo |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Revista de Saúde Pública v.34 n.6 2000 reponame:Revista de Saúde Pública instname:Universidade de São Paulo (USP) instacron:USP |
instname_str |
Universidade de São Paulo (USP) |
instacron_str |
USP |
institution |
USP |
reponame_str |
Revista de Saúde Pública |
collection |
Revista de Saúde Pública |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Revista de Saúde Pública - Universidade de São Paulo (USP) |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
revsp@org.usp.br||revsp1@usp.br |
_version_ |
1748936492401557504 |