Key result
Polypharmacy in Alzheimer's disease may reduce treatment efficacy and increase side effects, particularly with psychotropics.
Why the study?
Older adults with Alzheimer's disease frequently have comorbid physical illnesses and face risks from polypharmacy and drug interactions that may reduce medication efficacy and increase side effects.
This review highlights the risks of polypharmacy and drug interactions, particularly involving psychotropic drugs, in older adults with Alzheimer's disease.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May warrant medication review in AD polypharmacy; leaves open the impact of deprescribing interventions.
The number of patients with Alzheimer's disease is increasing annually. Most of these patients are older adults with comorbid physical illnesses, which means that they are often treated with a combination of medications for the disease they have and those for Alzheimer's disease. Thus, older adults with Alzheimer's disease are potentially at risk for polypharmacy. In addition, the drug interactions between Alzheimer's disease medications and those for the treatment of physical illnesses may reduce their efficacy and increase side effects. This article reviews polypharmacy and drug interactions in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease, with a focus on psychotropic drugs.
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Esumi et al. (2022) conducted a review in Alzheimer's disease. Polypharmacy and psychotropic drugs was evaluated. Polypharmacy and drug interactions in older adults with Alzheimer's disease, particularly involving psychotropic drugs, may reduce treatment efficacy and increase side effects.
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