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Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome in Polypharmacy
Author(s) -
George Claudene J.,
Verghese Joe
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.16380
Subject(s) - polypharmacy , medicine , dementia , odds ratio , risk factor , confidence interval , cohort , cognitive decline , cognition , epidemiology , psychiatry , gerontology , physical therapy , pediatrics , disease
OBJECTIVES Risk factors for motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), a predementia syndrome characterized by slow gait and cognitive complaints, have been identified, but few are reversible. Polypharmacy is a potentially reversible risk factor for cognitive decline, but the relationship between MCR and polypharmacy has not been examined. Our aim was to compare the epidemiology of MCR and polypharmacy. DESIGN Cross‐sectional. SETTING Community‐based Health and Retirement Study cohort. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1119 adults 65 years and older (mean age = 74.7 ± 7.0 y; 59% female). MEASUREMENTS Polypharmacy is defined as the use of five or more regularly scheduled medications. MCR is defined as cognitive complaints and slow gait in an individual without dementia. RESULTS The prevalence of MCR among 417 participants with polypharmacy was 10%; it was 6% among 702 participants without polypharmacy. The odds of meeting MCR criteria in those with polypharmacy was 1.8 (confidence interval = 1.0‐3.0; P = .035) compared with those without polypharmacy, even after adjusting for high‐risk medication use. CONCLUSION Our results show the coexistence of MCR and polypharmacy in older adults, suggesting a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1072–1077, 2020