Key Highlights
- 17, explored the effects of polypharmacy — defined as taking six or more regular medications on a regular basis — at a convalescent rehabilitation hospital in Japan. The retrospective observational study looked at 1,903 patients 65 and older who underwent rehabilitation at the hospital from April 2017 to March 2024, according to a press release.
- NEW HEALTH WARNING ISSUED OVER POPULAR SLEEP AID MILLIONS TAKE NIGHTLY The patients had one of three conditions: cerebrovascular disease (a disorder of the brain’s blood vessels that reduce or block blood flow), motor disorder (a condition that affects movement and muscle control) or disuse syndrome (inactivity leading to muscle weakness and physical decline).
- Of the total group, 62.1% of the patients were taking six or more medications when they were discharged from the hospital, and more than 76% of them were 80 or older.
- Older adults discharged from the hospital on multiple medications are less likely to regain independence during rehabilitation, a new study suggests.
- (iStock)Those taking multiple medications were also more likely to be taking benzodiazepine receptor agonists (taken for anxiety or insomnia), laxatives and psychotropic medications (mainly used for depression, anxiety, psychosis and other mood disorders).
