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This article is from the WebMD Feature Archive
Seniors' Falling Injuries Are Preventable
Eleanor Kusel never gave much consideration to the bumps in the sidewalks or the rugs lying on the floor of her apartment. But after the 75-year-old San Franciscan fell and fractured her pelvis while getting out of a car, she began to notice the many hazards that could cause her to fall again.
"I never thought about it until this happened," Kusel said of her recent accident.
Kusel is not alone. One out of every three Americans 65 years and older falls at least once a year, with 10 percent fracturing a bone, dislocating a joint or incurring some other serious injury, said Dr. Mary Tinetti, Chief of Geriatrics at the Yale University School of Medicine.
After three months of bed rest and therapy, Kusel is gradually moving back into her daily routine. She's resumed her volunteer work at a local hospital and is once again making her way around town.
But she may be one of the luckier ones. Nearly one-half of the older Americans who incur a serious injury never fully recover and many lose their ability to function independently for the rest of their lives, said Dr. Bree Johnston, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco's department of geriatrics. A good proportion end up in nursing homes, making falls and the injuries that result one of the most substantial health threats facing older Americans.
The problem could be even more pressing: A study published in May 1999 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that falling injuries among the elderly are on the rise.
Finding a Cause
While common sense dictates that falling accidents are the result of household hazards such as slippery bathroom floors or poorly lit stairwells, that's not what some researchers have found.
In a recent study, Yale University researchers identified hazards in the homes of 1,100 people who were 72 years or older. After following the study participants for three years, the researchers compared the number of falls with the kinds of household hazards they initially identified. The result: household hazards did not affect the number of falls people had.
"We were quite surprised because this is counter to conventional wisdom," said Dr. Thomas Gill, associate professor of medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, who led the study.
Instead, a person's health may have more to do with how frequently they fall and injure themselves, he said. Weak leg muscles, poor vision and medications that compromise balance may put elderly people at risk for falling. People should ask their doctors about the possibility of lowering the dosage of certain daily medications -- such as sleeping pills, antidepressants and blood pressure medications that could impair a person's sense of balance -- or eliminating them completely.
Gill presented his findings in May 1999 at the annual meeting of the American Geriatric Society. The study is currently under review for publication.
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Indication
Uroxatral® (alfuzosin HCl 10 mg extended-release tablets) is an alpha1-blocker for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of BPH.
Important Safety Information
Do not take UROXATRAL if you have liver problems or if you are taking antifungal drugs like ketoconazole or itraconazole, or HIV drugs like ritonavir.
UROXATRAL can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, especially when starting treatment. This may lead to fainting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do any dangerous activity until you know how UROXATRAL will affect you. This is especially important if you already have a problem with low blood pressure or take medicines to treat high blood pressure. There may be an increased risk of low blood pressure and fainting when taking UROXATRAL in combination with blood pressure medication or nitrates, or erectile dysfunction medication.
If considering cataract surgery (clouding of the eyes), tell your eye surgeon that you are currently taking UROXATRAL or have previously been treated with an alpha-blocker.
Before taking UROXATRAL, tell your doctor if you have kidney problems.
Also, tell your doctor if you or any family member(s) have or take medications for a rare heart condition known as congenital prolongation of the QT interval.
BPH and prostate cancer can cause the same symptoms. However, UROXATRAL is not a treatment for prostate cancer.
The most common side effects with UROXATRAL are dizziness, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and tiredness.
Please see UROXATRAL full prescribing information.
VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
