Patients taking antihypertensive medication experienced a higher rate of serious fall injuries, especially if they had a previous fall injury, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Using the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, researchers analyzed data from approximately 4,900 non-hospitalized adults with hypertension older than 70 years old.
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Patients were divided into three categories, with 14.1 percent not receiving any hypertensive medication, 54.6 percent in a moderate-intensity hypertensive group and 31.3 percent in a high-intensity hypertensive group.
Nine percent of the participants experienced a serious fall injury — hip or major fractures, traumatic brain injury, joint dislocation or mortality — and 16.9 percent died. Patients in the moderate-intensity group and the high-intensity group were more likely to experience a serious fall injury.
Researchers suggest potential harms and benefits should be compared when deciding whether to administer antihypertensive medications to older adults.
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