Older Adults May Suffer Adverse Brain Effects from Multiple Medications
The number of older adults who take combinations of three or more medications that affect brain functioning is increasinging. A recent review of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that the use of opioid painkillers, antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants, and tranquilizers among adults over 65 more than doubled from 2004 to 2013. Among rural Americans, the usage more than tripled.
The review, published in the Feb. 13, 2017 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests that in aging brains, multiple medications can have adverse effects, causing problems such as memory and cognitive difficulties, a higher incidence of falls, and impairment of driving ability. The findings are especially worrisome because certain drug combinations—such as opioid painkillers with benzodiazepine tranquillizers (e.g., Valium or Xanax)—increase risk of mortality. Nearly half of seniors using multiple medications did so without the benefit of a formal diagnosis that called for their use. “We hope that the newer prescribing guidelines for older adults encourage providers and patients to reconsider the potential risks and benefits from these combinations,” the study’s lead author said.
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