The use of psychotropic drugs by elderly people significantly increased their chances of falling down, new research concluded.
Published in the latest edition of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, the analysis of 22 different studies found that sedatives, hypnotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines played a major part in falls by the elderly.
Researchers found that antidepressants had the strongest association with falling, while the narcotic class of drugs had the lowest.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) were also associated with an increased likelihood of falling.
"Falling in elderly persons is a major, yet underrecognised, public health concern," the study's authors wrote.
"Falls and fall-related complications are the fifth leading cause of death in the developed world, and more than 30 per cent of persons older than 65 years will fall at least once annually."