Prescription medication 'increases falls in all ages' Previous studies have shown that the elderly are twice as likely to have unintentional falls if they are taking two or more such drugs, than if they are taking nothing. Now new research, published in the journal Injury Prevention, has found a similar relative effect in young and middle-aged people - although in absolute terms, those in these age groups are far less likely to fall over than the elderly. It examined fall rates in people aged 25 to 60 in Auckland, New Zealand, comparing those on multiple prescription medications to those on one or none. The 340 on the multiple drugs were 2.5 times more likely to have falls resulting in them being admitted to hospital, than 350 matched people, who were randomly selected from the electoral register. Drugs to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol were the most likely to be linked to unintentional falls, although researchers from the University of Auckland said this could be due to the underlying health conditions rather than the medicines. The findings held true even after taking account of personal, social, and lifestyle factors, including alcohol and illegal drug use, and how much sleep the person had in the previous 24 hours. The authors concluded: "The findings suggest that, as in the case of older people, younger working aged adults who use multiple prescription medications are at increased risk of falls, an aspect that should be considered in falls prevention programmes." No increased risk was found for asthma inhalers, anti-inflammatory medication, steroids or antidepressants.