“Older adults in the US are heavily medicated.”
An August, 2025 article in JAMA Network reported that the mortality rate from falls among older adults has increased more than three-fold during the past 30 years. The surge reflects the aggressive marketing of fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) and the persistence of dependence. During this period, death rates from falls decreased in other high-end countries.
FRIDs strongly implicated included benzodiazepines, opioids, gabapentinoids, antidepressants, and first-generation antihistamines. Benedryl, found in common over-the-counter drugs, is also associated with risk for dementia.
The New York Times published an article about this topic on September 7, 2025.