Prescription medications that increase the risk of falls for patients 65 and older

Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Editor

Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries for adults sixty-five and older, and research suggests that those taking four or more medications are at an even greater risk than those who don’t—perhaps two to three times greater. -- Susan Blalock, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.....

I am always worried that my mother might fall and injure herself -- or worse.

Research studies indicate that falling is a leading cause of injury deaths for people 65 and older -- see Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview.

• More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States
• Twenty percent to 30% of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises, hip fractures, or head traumas.
• Men are more likely to die from a fall.
• The risk of being seriously injured in a fall increases with age.
• People 75 and older who fall are four to five times more likely to be admitted to a long-term care facility for a year or longer.

The drugs older people take can make them more susceptible to falling.

Have you considered these facts? Asked your personal care physician if the drugs he or she is prescribing increase the chances of falling? Ever had a pharmacist warm you that a drug can increase the chances of falling?

When you are getting a prescription filled has the pharmacist every told you -- be careful this drug can increase falling?

Stefanie Ferreri offered the following advice to patients and practitioners:

For Patients
If patients see a drug they are taking on the list, they should not stop taking it. Next time they see their doctor, talk about the risk of falling and possible alternative medications.

For Doctors
Physicians should look for medications that have been proven safe and effective in older adults and look for medicines that have less of a sedating effect. Physicians should be especially wary of anticholinergics, a class of drugs that affect nerve cells and used to treat a wide range of conditions.

For Pharmacists
Pharmacists should be alert for patients sixty-five and older who are taking four or more drugs and be sure the patients know about the additional risk of falling created by their medications.

Here are some popular drugs that are on the list Celexa, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Prozac and Risperdal.

Please consider sharing this information with family and friends. Or your doctor.

Go here to see -- Prescription medications that increase the risk of falls for patients 65 and older.

Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email

Popular articles on the Alzheimer's Reading Room

• Dementia and the Eight Types of Dementia
• H1N1 Flu Virus Everything You Need to Know
• Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
• Test Your Memory (TYM) for Alzheimer's or Dementia in Five Minutes
• Dimebon Connection Study
• The Metamorphosis of This Alzheimer's Caregiver (Part One)
• The Mini-Cog Test for Alzheimer's and Dementia
• Worried about Alzheimer's? Five Ways to Protect Yourself
• Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
• Alzheimer's Wandering Why it Happens and What to Do
• 50 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room Now
• World Health Care Spending and Performance Ranking by Country (Table)

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems


Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

Read More......

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Wishing each and everyone of you a wonderful new year.

Read More......

Alzheimer's Reading Room: Exercise may improve function in dementia patients

If you are a frequent visitor to this Blog then you know I believe one of the most important parts of Alzheimer's care is exercise. My mother, now 92, suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The first time she visited a gym she was 88 years old. There is no doubt in my mind that my mother would now be bedridden if not for exercise. The effect is so dramatic that my mother sometimes holds on to the walls or anything she can grab while walking into the gym. On the way out she stands up straight and walks out on her own. Most people that know her are shocked to see this. We get an added benefit when people stop to talk or smile at her. Socialization in the gym is an added benefit.

Read More

Read More......

Using the Internet Promotes Memory and a Healthy Brain

I just finished reading an article about how using the Internet promotes memory and a healthy brain. This should be of great interest to the millions of baby boomers facing the possibility of Alzheimer's disease in their future. A Pew/Internet study showed that seventy five percent of Leading Boomers (age 51-59) use the Internet. The numbers are lower for Matures (age 60-69) at fifty four percent.

The brain study found that Internet savvy users that use search experienced greater brain activity. While there are no conclusive studies at this time, boomers should be thinking about ways to keep the brain healthy and memory sharp as they age. It appears the use of the Internet helps.

"This suggests that just searching on the Internet may train the brain -- that it may keep it active and healthy," said Small, whose research appears in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Also see: Ten Million Baby Boomers likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s during their lifetime

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Workout for brain just a few clicks away

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Searching the Internet may help middle-aged and older adults keep their memories sharp, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles studied people doing Web searches while their brain activity was recorded with functional magnetic resonance imaging scans.

"What we saw was people who had Internet experience used more of their brain during the search," Dr. Gary Small, a UCLA expert on aging, said in a telephone interview.

"This suggests that just searching on the Internet may train the brain -- that it may keep it active and healthy," said Small, whose research appears in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Many studies have found that challenging mental activities such as puzzles can help preserve brain function, but few have looked at what role the Internet might play.

"This is the first time anyone has simulated an Internet search task while scanning the brain," Small said.

His team studied 24 normal volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76. Half were experienced at searching the Internet and the other half had no Web experience. Otherwise, the groups were similar in age, gender and education.

Both groups were asked to do Internet searches and book reading tasks while their brain activity was monitored.

"We found that in reading the book task, the visual cortex -- the part of the brain that controls reading and language -- was activated," Small said.

"In doing the Internet search task, there was much greater activity, but only in the Internet-savvy group."

He said it appears that people who are familiar with the Internet can engage in a much deeper level of brain activity.

"There is something about Internet searching where we can gauge it to a level that we find challenging," Small said.

In the aging brain, atrophy and reduced cell activity can take a toll on cognitive function. Activities that keep the brain engaged can preserve brain health and thinking ability.

Small thinks learning to do Internet searches may be one of those activities.

"It tells us we probably can teach an old brain new Internet tricks," he said.

(Editing by Will Dunham and John O'Callaghan)

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Read More......

JoAnne DeMarco

Read More......

Dorothy Olive DeMarco

Dorothy De Marco was born in South Philadelphia, June, 1916. She is currently 92 years old and resides in Delray Beach, Florida.

Read More......

Exercise slows decline in Alzheimer's patients

I can attest, exercise makes a difference. My mother now has the tendency to sit around all day. On those days when I can get her to go to Gold's Gym with me she is a completely different person. The look on her face, from dull to smiling, is more than enough to tell me that exercise works to her benefit.

"Nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease who participate in a moderate exercise program have a significantly slower deterioration than those who receive routine medical care, researchers have shown."

Read the article in its entirety at the CareGiver: The Book Weblog

Read More......

Dorothy and Kids

Dorothy, Kristen (granddaughter) and Ryan (great grandson).

Read More......