Relationship between falls and the use of hypnotics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anxiolytics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A cross-sectional study.

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between falls and the use of psychotropic medications—including hypnotics/sedatives, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anxiolytic (benzodiazepines) drugs—in 307 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results showed that patients with RA taking psychotropic medications had a significantly higher incidence of falls compared to those not taking these medications (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–2.48; P = .02), although no significant association was found between psychotropic medication use and the number of falls. The study adjusted for confounding factors such as age, sex, RA disease activity, stroke, dementia, diabetes mellitus, and osteoarthritis, and highlighted potential mechanisms including muscle relaxation and orthostatic hypotension contributing to increased fall risk. Limitations include its cross-sectional design, potential recall bias, and unmeasured confounders such as sarcopenia and history of falls.