Nonselective beta-blocker eye drops and the risk of fall-related injuries: a Danish nationwide new user, active comparator propensity score matched cohort study.
Background and aim Falls in older adults are a major health concern. Risk factors include medications, but uncertainty remains about potential fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs). This nationwide cohort study examined whether non-selective beta-blocker eye drops (timolol) increase the risk of fall-re...
| Published in: | Age & Ageing Vol. 55; no. 4; pp. 1 - 10 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
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Oxford University Press / USA
Apr2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=193500089&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 193500089 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 00020729 AGA jtl: Age & Ageing issn: 00020729 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Apr2026 vid: 55 iid: 4 pid: 622 pub: Oxford University Press / USA artinfo: ui: 193500089 10.1093/ageing/afag093 ppf: 1 ppct: 9 formats: tig: atl: Nonselective beta-blocker eye drops and the risk of fall-related injuries: a Danish nationwide new user, active comparator propensity score matched cohort study. aug: au: Obling, Maria L Ryg, Jesper Lund, Lars C Viberg, Bjarke Reilev, Mette Henriksen, Daniel P Pedersen, Sidsel A affil: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, 5230, Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark Geriatric Research and Clinical Evidence (GRACE), Department of Internal Medicine Geriatric Section, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Herlev, 2730, Capital Region of Denmark, DenmarkGeriatric Research Unit, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5230, Region of Southern Denmark, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2200, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, 5230, Region of Southern Denmark, DenmarkDepartment of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark - Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Odense, 5230, Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, 5000, Region of Southern Denmark, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5230, Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5230, Region of Southern Denmark, DenmarkCentre for Suicide Research, Odense, 5000, Region of Southern Denmark, DenmarkUnit of Mental Health Research, Southwest Denmark, Department of Psychiatry, University of Southern Denmark, Aabenraa, 6200, Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, 5230, Region of Southern Denmark, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5230, Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark su: Denmark Age distribution Injury risk factors Wound care Timolol maleate Risk assessment Cutaneous therapeutics Mathematical variables Ophthalmic drugs Probability theory Questionnaires Descriptive statistics Longitudinal method Odds ratio Bone fractures Prostaglandins Research Synthetic drugs Comparative studies Confidence intervals Accidental falls Disease incidence sug: subj: Age distribution Denmark Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing Injury risk factors Wound care Timolol maleate Risk assessment Cutaneous therapeutics Mathematical variables Ophthalmic drugs Probability theory Questionnaires Descriptive statistics Longitudinal method Odds ratio Bone fractures Prostaglandins Research Synthetic drugs Comparative studies Confidence intervals Accidental falls Disease incidence keyword: beta-blocker eye drops beta-blockers copyrightHolder:British Geriatrics Society copyrightYear:2026 eyedrops fall-related injuries follow-up fractures FRIDs high-dimensional propensity score https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afag093 inLanguage:en older adult older people prostaglandins publisher:Oxford University Press sameAs:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41980196/ synthetic timolol beta-blocker eye drops beta-blockers copyrightHolder:British Geriatrics Society copyrightYear:2026 eyedrops fall-related injuries follow-up fractures FRIDs high-dimensional propensity score https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afag093 inLanguage:en older adult older people prostaglandins publisher:Oxford University Press sameAs:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41980196/ synthetic timolol ab: Background and aim Falls in older adults are a major health concern. Risk factors include medications, but uncertainty remains about potential fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs). This nationwide cohort study examined whether non-selective beta-blocker eye drops (timolol) increase the risk of fall-related injuries compared to topical prostaglandin analogue (TPA) eye drops. Methods Using registry data from all Danish residents, we included individuals aged ≥65 years who initiated timolol (n = 52 019) or TPA (n = 72 885) between 1996 and 2023. Propensity score matching was applied to balance baseline characteristics. The primary outcome covered hospital-treated fall-related injuries while the secondary outcome was fall-related fractures specifically. Results No statistically significant differences were observed in the risk of fall-related injuries or fall-related fractures for timolol vs. TPA users at 14, 90 or 365 days of follow-up, before or after propensity score matching. Predefined subgroup analyses showed an increased risk of fall-related injuries among individuals aged ≥80 years [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.23, 95% CI 1.01–1.50] and among users of ≥3 FRIDs (IRR 1.20, 95% CI 1.01–1.44). Conclusion Our findings suggest that timolol eye drops are not associated with a significantly increased risk of fall-related injuries in the overall population of older adults. However, a marginally significant increased risk of fall-related injuries was seen among the oldest individuals and those concurrently using multiple FRIDs. These findings underscore the importance of considering a patient-centred approach when prescribing medications that could be potentially harmful. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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