Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41695172›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026

Drug Burden Index and its association with postural balance and falls among community-dwelling older adults.

João Vitor H Ribeiro, Marina L A Oliveira, Gustavo A Gâmbaro, Rubens A da Silva, Suzy Ngomo, Eros de Oliveira, Karen B P Fernandes

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

João Vitor H Ribeiro *School of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Londrina, Brazil.
Marina L A Oliveira *School of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Londrina, Brazil.
Gustavo A GâmbaroSchool of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Londrina, Brazil.
Rubens A da SilvaCenter Intersectoriel en Santé Durable, Laboratoire de Recherche BioNR, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), Saguenay, QC, Canada.
Suzy NgomoCenter Intersectoriel en Santé Durable, Laboratoire de Recherche BioNR, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), Saguenay, QC, Canada.
Eros de OliveiraCenter of Research in Health Sciences, University of Northern Paraná (UNOPAR), Londrina, Brazil.
Karen B P FernandesSchool of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Londrina, Brazil.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Polypharmacy is linked to balance impairment and falls. Thus, pharmacological screening tools are essential for identifying high-risk patients. Objectives: To investigate the association between medication burden, postural balance, and recent falls in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study included adults aged ≥ 60 years attending a university outpatient clinic in Brazil. Sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, medication use, handgrip strength, and recent fall were collected. Medication burden was classified as no, low, or high according to the Drug Burden Index. Postural balance was assessed using a standardized one-legged stance protocol on a BIOMEC 400-412 force platform, with Center of Pressure (COP) area and sway velocity as primary and recent falls as secondary outcomes. Results: This study included 170 participants, and no demographic differences were found across DBI categories. DBI was significantly associated with postural balance, with greater COP area and sway velocity among individuals with low or high burden ( Conclusion: Higher DBI was associated with impaired balance and increased fall risk, with a 0.5 cut-off effectively identifying balance impairment and supporting DBI as a practical tool for detecting older adults at risk.

Indexed as

Drug Burden Indexfallsmedication burdenolder adultspostural balance

Identifiers

PMID41695172
PMCPMC12901463

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.