Pharmaco-epidemiological analysis of drug use in elderly patients with cardiovascular diseases that increase the risk of falls

This article updates the problem of falls in elderly patients, the causes of which are multifaceted. Age is one of the main factors contributing to the increase in the number of falls, since fatal cases associated with falls most often occur among the elderly. Falls create a huge burden on the health care system, since injuries such as hip fractures require expensive treatment. Many risk factors increase the likelihood of falls in the elderly, and medications are among these factors. And in this study, a pharmacoepidemiological analysis of the use of drugs in elderly patients with cardiovascular diseases was carried out, the purpose of which was to identify drugs that increase the risk of falls using medication and falls risk classification guide. A retrospective analysis of prescription sheets of medical records of patients over 60 years old with cardiovascular pathology who received treatment in a hospital was carried out. According to our data, 82 patients were prescribed drugs with a high risk of falls in 56% of cases and a moderate risk of falls in 44% of cases. The high-risk group included: benzodiazepines, which were prescribed to 12 patients (5%), ACE inhibitors (ACEi) - 39 patients (14.5%), β-blockers - 55 patients (21%) and antianginal drugs - 38 patients (15%) and were in the red color according to the traffic light classification. As a result of the analysis, it was concluded that patients in the above categories are prescribed drugs, often in combination, that increase the risk of falls and lead to them. It is recommended to improve the knowledge of health care workers, develop clinical guidelines for the care of elderly patients, update existing clinical guidelines for the care of patients with cardiovascular diseases with the inclusion of the medication and falls risk classification guide in them to prevent falls in elderly patients.