Elderly men and women, as well as their families, should be aware that certain medications can increase their risk of falling. According to a recent four-year study, the risk of falling is 1.4 times greater among elderly individuals who take long-acting benzodiazepine (an anti-anxiety medication). Researchers involved in the study also found that elderly people who regularly use tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, anti-spasmodics, and certain antihistamines that block nerve responses (called “anticholinergics”) were similarly at increased risk of falling. These drugs and others were deemed by researchers to be “inappropriate medications” because they are likely to exert greater effect on elderly people than their younger counterparts or produce side effects (such as dizziness and drowsiness) that increase the risk of falling.

HINT: According to the study mentioned above, short- or intermediate-acting benzodiazepines do not increase the risk of falling among the elderly individuals taking them.