From Fox News: Older adults discharged from hospitals on multiple medications are less likely to regain independence during rehabilitation, a new study suggests.
The Japanese study, published in the journal BMC Geriatrics Dec. 17, explored the effects of polypharmacy — defined as taking six or more regular medications on a regular basis — at a convalescent rehabilitation hospital in Japan.
The retrospective observational study looked at 1,903 patients 65 and older who underwent rehabilitation at the hospital from April 2017 to March 2024, according to a press release.
The patients all had one of three conditions: cerebrovascular disease, motor disorder, or disuse syndrome. 62.1% of the patients were taking six or more medications when they were discharged from the hospital, and over 76% of them were at least 80 years old.
The study found that patients taking multiple medications were more likely to be taking benzodiazepine receptor agonists, laxatives, and psychotropic medications.
The researchers determined that those with polypharmacy who had cerebrovascular disease and disuse syndrome scored significantly lower in the functional independence measure (FIM), which assesses how independently a person can perform everyday activities, especially after illness, injury, or hospitalization,” Fox News reported.
Read more at Fox News
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