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Is polypharmacy associated with mortality in the very old: Findings from the Newcastle 85+ Study
Author(s) -
Davies Laurie E.,
Kingston Andrew,
Todd Adam,
Hanratty Barbara
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1111/bcp.15211
Subject(s) - polypharmacy , medicine , emergency medicine , gerontology , demography , sociology
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.