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Older patients who present with dizziness often receive prescriptions for vestibular suppressants, such as meclizine and benzodiazepines. However, the American Geriatric Society recommends against routine use of vestibular suppression drugs, as they might raise risk for subsequent falls in this population (J Am Geriatr Soc 2019; 67:674). In this study, researchers analyzed a large U.S. insurance claims database to assess the relation between vestibular suppressant prescriptions and risk for falls among 190,000 older adults (age, ≥65) with dizziness.
Overall, 32% of the patients filled prescriptions for vestibular suppressants (73% anxiolytics, including benzodiazepines; 27% antiemetics, including meclizine) within 1 month of presentation for…