Is polypharmacy beneficial or detrimental for older adults with cardiometabolic multimorbidity? Pooled analysis of studies from Hong Kong and Europe.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Physicians often prescribe high numbers of medications for managing multiple cardiometabolic diseases. It is questionable whether polypharmacy (concurrent use of five or more medications) is beneficial or detrimental for older adults with cardiometabolic multimorbidity (co-occurrence of two or more diseases).

Objective

To examine combined effects of multimorbidity and polypharmacy on hospitalization and frailty and to determine whether effect sizes of polypharmacy vary with numbers of cardiometabolic diseases.

Methods

We pooled longitudinal data of community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong, Israel, and 17 European countries. They completed questionnaires for baseline assessment from 2015 to 2018 and reassessment at 1-2-year follow-up. We performed regres

SUBMITTER: Cheung JTK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7699312 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature