ArticleAge and ageing2022
Does polypharmacy shape dependency transitions in the very old? Findings from the Newcastle 85+ Study.
Article in Age and ageing, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Predictors of independence in older people: A longitudinal, population-based study using the CARE75 + cohort.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- A binational study of the association between white matter hyperintensities and functional outcome in stroke patients.Frontiers in neurologyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundhelping older people to maintain their independence, and identifying risk factors that compromise this, is of high importance. Polypharmacy is common in the very old (aged ≥ 85) but whether it can shape transitions in dependency in this fastest growing subpopulation is unclear.
methodsusing Newcastle 85+ Study data and multi-state modelling, we investigated the association between each additional medication prescribed and the progression of and recovery from dependency states, over 10 years (age 85-95). Participants were defined as either free from care (independent), requiring care less often than daily (low dependency), or requiring care at regular intervals each day or 24 hourly (medium/high dependency).
resultseach additional medication prescribed was associated with a 10% decreased chance of recovery from low dependence to independence (hazard ratio (HR): 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-0.99). DISCUSSION: when a relatively able person visits the GP or clinical pharmacist, careful consideration should be given to whether the potential benefits from adding a new medication outweigh the risk to reduced recovery of independence.
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