Polypharmacy was the only higher-risk medication exposure independently associated with increased all-cause mortality among older adults after accounting for drug-drug interactions and potentially inappropriate medications, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Here are four things to know:
- Researchers analyzed data from 7,828 adults age 65 and older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2016, representing an estimated 26.5 million U.S. adults.
- Overall, 54.3% of participants had at least one higher-risk medication exposure, including polypharmacy (40%), potentially inappropriate medication use (37.6%) and major drug-drug interactions (11.4%).
- After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, organ function, health behaviors and multiple medication-related risks, only polypharmacy remained significantly associated with all-cause mortality. Taking five or more prescription medications was linked to a 38% higher mortality risk.
- The authors said the findings suggest deprescribing initiatives should prioritize patients with polypharmacy because it was the only higher-risk medication exposure consistently and independently associated with mortality.
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