The role of psychotropic drugs in the elderly with hip fractures

Psychotropic drug therapy, which represents an important aspect of health promotion in the elderly, is considered to be associated with a high incidence of falls and hip fractures. In this retrospective case-control study, the interaction was tested between psychotropic drug use (short-and long-acting anxiolytics/hypnotics, antidepressants and antipsychotics), sex and hip fractures in 196 consecutive cases of community-dwelling elderly with hip fractures and 133 healthy age- and sex-matched community-residing controls. A total of 20% of the cases and 21% of the controls were receiving psycho-active medications. No association was found between fracture occurrence and use of psychotropics (p = 0.73). In addition, no significant interaction was found between sex and the incidence of fracture. Psychotropic drug use may be less important than previously assumed in connection with the occurrence of hip fractures in the elderly.