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December 4, 2025Public HealthOpen Access

Polypharmacy management interventions in older adults: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

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Key result

Medication reviews focused on deprescribing reduced mortality in community settings, and behavioral interventions reduced hospitalizations, though overall evidence certainty was low.

Why the study?

Do interventions to optimize polypharmacy reduce mortality, hospitalizations, and falls in older adults?

Population

Older adults across healthcare settings

Design

Systematic_review

Authors

AGAngelica Valz GrisSFSara FarinaMPMartina Porcelli

Discussion

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Overview

May support deprescribing reviews to lower community mortality; leaves open confirmation of behavioral interventions for fewer hospitalizations.

Study Design

Type

Systematic Review

Structured PICO

Do interventions to optimize polypharmacy reduce mortality, hospitalizations, and falls in older adults?

P
Population
Umbrella review of 6 articles including 21 meta-analyses encompassing 110 primary RCTs evaluating interventions to optimize polypharmacy in older adults.
I
Intervention
Interventions to optimize polypharmacy (medication reviews, deprescribing strategies, and educational or behavioral approaches targeting medication appropriateness, reduction, or adherence)
O
Outcome
Mortality, hospitalizations, and fallshard clinical

Evidence on interventions to manage polypharmacy in older adults remains limited and inconsistent, though deprescribing and behavioral interventions may offer benefits in community settings.

Limitations

  • Heterogeneity
  • Small-study effects
  • Publication bias
  • heterogeneity
  • small-study effects
  • publication bias

Cite This Study

Gris et al. (2025) conducted a systematic review in Polypharmacy. Polypharmacy management interventions (medication reviews, deprescribing, educational/behavioral approaches) was evaluated on Mortality, hospitalizations, and falls. Medication reviews focused on deprescribing reduced mortality in community settings, and behavioral interventions reduced hospitalizations, though overall evidence certainty was low.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6ab0ac4265076800a6e78c2ahttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106077
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Polypharmacy Intervention Studies in Older Adults: Challenges in Proving Benefits in Hard Clinical Outcomes2025 · 3 citations
  2. 2Interventions to Optimize Medication Management in Older Adults: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews2026 · 1 citations
  3. 3How Do Medication Management Interventions Reduce Polypharmacy- Related Risks In Older Adults With Multiple Chronic Conditions?2025
  4. 4Impact of strategies to reduce polypharmacy on clinically relevant endpoints: a systematic review and meta‐analysis2016 · 249 citations
  5. 5Polypharmacy in Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Clinical Risks, Deprescribing Strategies, and Interdisciplinary Management2026