Older adults taking five or more prescription drugs may face a higher risk of death than those using fewer medications, according to a new study. The research adds to growing concern around polypharmacy, a term used when patients take multiple prescriptions at the same time.
One of the study’s most notable findings was that every additional prescription medication was associated with a 7% increase in death risk among older adults. That pattern is raising fresh questions about how doctors and patients review long medication lists, especially in aging populations with several ongoing health conditions.
The report is likely to intensify discussion around deprescribing, the process of reducing or stopping medicines that may no longer be necessary or may create more harm than benefit. Experts have increasingly focused on whether some older adults are taking combinations of drugs that need closer monitoring.
At the same time, the findings do not suggest that all prescriptions are avoidable or unsafe. Many older adults rely on several medicines to manage chronic illness, but the study highlights the importance of carefully balancing benefits, risks and the total number of drugs being taken.
