Medication usage and falls in people with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

There is a need to identify modifiable risk factors for falls in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to enable the design of successful falls prevention interventions. There is conflicting evidence regarding the association between medication use and occurrence of falls in MS. A total of 101 people with MS had medications classified using the Anatomical Therapeutic Classification system and number of falls prospectively monitored for 3 months. No association was noted between number of medications and falls. The use of genitourinary and sex hormones (odds ratio (OR) = 5.154, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.427–18.609, p = 0.012) and centrally acting muscle relaxant (OR = 5.181, 95% CI = 1.546–17.364, p = 0.008) medications were associated with an increased odds of being a faller.