Fear and Risk of Falling in Older Hypertensive Individuals Undergoing Medication Treatment

Abstract

Introduction: Falls are a major concern among hypertensive older adults, as they can lead to severe injuries and reduced quality of life. Understanding the impact of antihypertensive medication use on fall risk and fear of falling is essential for improving patient care and fall prevention strategies. Objective: To investigate the associations between antihypertensive medication use and the risk and fear of falling in hypertensive older adults. Methods: A quantitative and cross-sectional study was conducted with 70 hypertensive older adults from a medical specialty center in the municipality of Sapezal, Brazil. The Timed Up and Go test and the Falls Efficacy Scale were applied. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test, binary logistic regression, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. A significance level of p < 0.05 was considered. Results: Older adults using two or more antihypertensive medications have significantly higher chances of fall risk (48.167 times) and fear of falling (15.007 times) compared to those using only one medication. Additionally, those taking medications for one to four years and over four years have 6.679 and 13.444 times greater chances of experiencing fear of falling with recurrent falls compared to those using them for less than one year. Conclusion: There is an association between the quantity and duration of medication use with a higher risk and fear of falling in hypertensive older adults.

Keywords

• aging
• antihypertensive therapy
• falls
• fear of falling
• fall risk