OPEN MINDED MEDICINE
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
  • NEW PATIENT
    • INTAKE FORMS
  • SERVICES
    • PRIMARY CARE
    • FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
    • WEIGHTLOSS
    • ALTERNATIVE JOINT INJECTIONS
    • IV VITAMIN THERAPY >
      • Vitamin C
      • H2O2
    • TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS
    • BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES
    • ANTI-AGING
    • DIAGNOSTICS
  • SUCCESS STORIES
  • STORE
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG

Half of over-65s take at least five drugs a day.

11/15/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Almost half of over-65s in England are taking at least five different drugs a day, a Cambridge University study has found. 

The figure has risen from just 12 per cent 20 years ago, while the proportion taking no pills at all dropped from around 20 per cent in the late 1990s to just seven per cent today.

Researchers tracked more than 15,000 older people who took part in two long-term health studies which began in the 1990s. 

Some of those who took part in the long-term investigation said they were on up to 23 tablets every day.

Researchers expressed concern at the increasing dependence on prescription and over-the-counter medicines - known as 'polypharmacy'.

Studies show polypharmacy can increase the dangers of interactions between different drugs and the risk of frailty in older patients.

It's feared many patients are left on medications long-term without thorough or regular GP reviews.

Volunteers in the study were asked to record their regular medication use, including drugs prescribed by doctors and those they bought over-the-counter, such as painkillers, vitamins and minerals.

The results, in the journal Age and Ageing, showed the proportion taking five or more different drugs a day jumped from 12 per cent to 47 per cent.

But the numbers needing no medicines at all nearly halved.

Heart disease pills, such as statins, accounted for nearly half the medicines taken.

Researchers said increased drug use partly reflected better diagnosis and treatment of potentially deadly conditions.

But they also voiced concerns that some patients may not need all the drugs they are on and were potentially at increased risk of death.

Researcher Dr Carol Brayne said: "We know that polypharmacy is associated with higher mortality and that the evidence for combination therapies on the scale that we have seen them in the older population is not good."

She said the findings highlighted the need for robust evidence on the benefits and harms of taking pills in bulk.

A 2015 study in Spain found those taking six medicines or more a day were nearly three times as likely to die prematurely than those on no drugs at all.

Even taking up to five a day increased the dangers by an estimated 47 per cent, researchers warned.

                                                                                                                                            Via The Telegraph
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    An open minded place for alternative thought and discussion.

    Disclaimer:
    Thoughts and opinions shared in this blog are just that, thoughts and opinions. They are not necessarily shared by our medical director or any of our medical staff. They also do not represent the views or opinions of UTSW. By no means should you make medical decisions after reading this blog or any other for that matter. Always consult a licensed medical professional who knows your medical history and condition before making any changes that could impact your health. (Positive or negatively) Any mention of prescription medications in this blog is not to be taken as a recommendation to change or stop the use of a medication prescribed by your doctor. They have met you, we haven't. 

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    January 2019
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from jaap spiering | photographer, MaloMalverde, alexandermazilkin, nillamaria
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
  • NEW PATIENT
    • INTAKE FORMS
  • SERVICES
    • PRIMARY CARE
    • FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
    • WEIGHTLOSS
    • ALTERNATIVE JOINT INJECTIONS
    • IV VITAMIN THERAPY >
      • Vitamin C
      • H2O2
    • TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS
    • BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES
    • ANTI-AGING
    • DIAGNOSTICS
  • SUCCESS STORIES
  • STORE
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG