Key result
Each additional medication in older adults is associated with a ~5% higher mortality risk.
Why the study?
Polypharmacy is common in older adults with comorbidities, but its global prevalence, temporal trends, and dose-response associations with adverse health outcomes needed estimation.
Does polypharmacy increase the risk of mortality and hospital admissions in older adults?
Population
16,620,414 older adults from 56 countries across 545 studies
Comparison
Polypharmacy vs non-polypharmacy and increasing medication burden
Design
Systematic review and random-effects dose-response meta-analysis
Authors
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Supports medication review in older adults; extends global prevalence estimates and risk associations from observational data.
Meta-Analysis (n=16,620,414)
Yes
Does polypharmacy increase the risk of mortality and hospital admissions in older adults?
Hazard Ratio: 1.05 (95% CI 1.03–1.06)
p-value: p=<0.001
Polypharmacy affects approximately half of older adults globally and is associated with a dose-dependent increase in mortality and hospital admissions.
Tian et al. (2026) conducted a meta-analysis in Polypharmacy (n=16,620,414). Polypharmacy (each additional medication) vs. Non-polypharmacy was evaluated on Mortality (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.06, p=<0.001). Polypharmacy affects 50.4% of older adults globally, and each additional medication monotonically increases the risk of mortality (HR 1.05; 95% CI 1.03-1.06; P<0.001).
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