Key result
Each additional medication in the very old is linked to ~3% higher all-cause mortality.
Why the study?
Polypharmacy is common in the very old (aged 85 years or older), but little is known about its association with mortality.
Is polypharmacy associated with increased all-cause mortality in the very old?
Cohort (n=741)
Is polypharmacy associated with increased all-cause mortality in the very old?
Effect estimate: HR 1.03 (95% CI 1.00-1.06)
In very old adults, each additional medication prescribed is associated with a small but significant increased risk of all-cause mortality over 11 years.
Supports medication review in very old adults; leaves open whether deprescribing improves survival.
Polypharmacy is common in the very old (≥85 years), where little is known about its association with mortality. We aimed to investigate the association between polypharmacy and all-cause mortality in the very old, over an 11-year time period. Data were drawn from the Newcastle 85+ Study (741), a cohort of people who were born in 1921 and turned 85 in 2006. Survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates, wherein polypharmacy was operationalised continuously. Each additional medication prescribed was associated with a 3% increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio: 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.06). Amongst the very old, the risks and benefits of each additional medication prescribed should be carefully considered.
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Davies et al. (2022) conducted a cohort in Polypharmacy (n=741). Polypharmacy was evaluated on All-cause mortality (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06). Each additional medication prescribed in the very old was associated with a 3% increased risk of all-cause mortality over 11 years (HR 1.03; 95% CI 1.00-1.06).
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