Findings seen in older adults with diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, or fibromyalgia<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, Jan. 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Incident use of gabapentin is not associated with an increase in fall-related hospital visits compared with duloxetine use, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Alexander Chaitoff, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Michigan School of Medicine in Ann Arbor, and colleagues describe the risk for fall-related outcomes in older adults with diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, or fibromyalgia starting gabapentin versus duloxetine treatment.<\/p>\n The analytic cohort included 57,086 older adults initiating treatment with gabapentin (52,152 adults) or duloxetine (4,934 adults). The researchers found that the weighted cumulative incidence rates of a fall-related visit at 30, 90, and 180 days were 103.60, 90.44, and 84.44 per 1,000 person-years, respectively, for gabapentin users and 203.43, 177.73, and 158.21 per 1,000 person-years, respectively, for duloxetine users. A lower hazard of falls was seen for incident gabapentin users at six-month follow-up (hazard ratio, 0.52), but no difference was seen in the risk for experiencing severe falls. Across sensitivity and subgroup analyses, the results were similar.<\/p>\n “Incident gabapentin use, compared with incident duloxetine use, was associated with fewer fall-related health care visits and smaller differences in absolute measures and was not associated with an increase in more severe fall-related events,” the authors write. “These considerations should be incorporated into conversations with patients who are considering starting gabapentin treatment.”<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n