Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan researchers found changing elderly patient's psychiatric medication dosage could reduce their fall risk, Medical Xpress reports.
Researcher analyzed fall risks between 2006 and 2010 for patients aged 65 and older using National Health and Retirement survey data.
Here are four study insights:
1. When patients over 65 had a moderate increase in depressive symptoms, they had a 30 percent jump in experiencing a fall over the next two years.
2. Researchers did not find that a fall preceded depression symptoms over two years.
3. The study indicates providers should pay particular attention to choosing and dosing medication and they should talk to older patients about their symptoms.
4. Falls associated with elderly patients cost $30 billion annually.
