Associations of Polypharmacy, Diuretics and Antipsychotics with Injurious Falls: A Population-Based Cohort…

Cohort studyDrugs & aging· Jul 2026

Associations of Polypharmacy, Diuretics and Antipsychotics with Injurious Falls: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Tewodros Yosef, Julie A Pasco, Monica C Tembo … Kara L Holloway-Kew

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GeriatricsCohort studyClinical practiceQ1IF 4.5

Diuretic use was linked to nearly triple the hazard of injurious falls in older adults.

Associations of Polypharmacy, Diuretics and Antipsychotics with Injurious Falls: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Tewodros Yosef … Kara L Holloway-Kew

Drugs & aging · Jul 2026

Background

Population ageing increases multimorbidity, which in turn contributes to polypharmacy, elevating fall risk through drug interactions and adverse effects on cognition or balance.

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the associations of polypharmacy, diuretic and antipsychotic use with injurious falls among older adults.

Methods

Data from 952 participants (590 men and 362 women) aged ≥ 65 years in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study were linked with the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset.

n = 952 participants

Results

diuretic users had almost triple the risk of injurious falls

aSHR 2.98 (95% CI 1.81 to 4.92)

null 0

1.81

4.92

CI excludes the null - significant

More results

The median time to the first injurious fall was 8.0 years (IQR: 4.0-12.2).

The overall incidence rate of injurious falls was 19.3 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 16.9-22.0).

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Polypharmacy, diuretic and antipsychotic use were associated with an increased risk of injurious falls, with diuretics accounting for the greatest population-level burden.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

These findings highlight the potential importance of routine medication review in identifying medications that may contribute to injurious falls among older adults.

Associations of Polypharmacy, Diuretics and Antipsychotics with Injurious Falls: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Associations of Polypharmacy, Diuretics and Antipsychotics with Injurious Falls: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

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