The recent car accident of legendary Kiss bassist and singer Gene Simmons, 76, was caused by a change in his medications, said his wife, Shannon Tweed, 68.
On Oct. 7, Simmons collided with a parked car on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. He told authorities that he had fainted just before the crash. Tweed told NBC Los Angeles that doctors had recently changed the musician’s medications and advised him to increase his water intake.
The rock musician updated fans on X, saying he was “completely fine.”
Simmons said he had a “slight fender bender,” which “happens, especially to those of us [who are] horrible drivers. And that’s me. All is well.”
Medication changes can potentially cause adverse effects. A 2024 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine reported that more than 4 in 10 people age 65 or older regularly use five or more prescription drugs.
Practical ways to manage new or existing medications include organizing more than a week’s worth at a time, keeping an updated list of prescriptions, setting reminders and utilizing technology.
Proper hydration is also essential for older adults. As people age, their body’s ability to retain water in their blood vessels decreases, making fluid loss more likely. Diabetes can also lead to increased water loss.
Symptoms of dehydration include thirst, dark urine, dizziness, fainting, constipation and dry mouth.
What about the long-standing advice to drink eight glasses of water a day?
Paul Jacques, a senior scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center for Aging at Tufts University, explained to AARP in 2023 that many factors influence water needs and hydration, including body size, climate, activity level and metabolic rate. As a result, the amount of water a person needs can vary among individuals and even for the same person under different conditions.
In the past, Simmons has discussed the fact that he has atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, which is an irregular heartbeat that disrupts blood flow between the upper and lower chambers of the heart.
A-fib affects at least 2.7 million Americans, and that number is expected to rise to 12.1 million by 2030, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Simmons spoke about his A-fib on the talk show The Doctors in 2016, saying he had never heard of the term until, during a concert around a decade prior, he had started to “get dizzy, perspire and experience a shortness of breath.”
He continued, “I called a doctor, and he showed up and said, ‘OK, here’s what’s going on. There’s something called A-fib,’ and he went down the list. And it was a lot to take in.”
He added, “I haven’t really had recurring problems because I get lots of rest and drink lots of liquids. But am I prone to A-fib? You bet.”
AARP has more information about A-fib, including what your resting heart rate says about your health.
