Journal article
Impact of Polypharmacy on Symptoms and Health Outcomes in Older Adults With and Without Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
Biological research for nursing, v 27(1), pp 47-59
Jan 2025
PMID: 39379018
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
There is a critical gap in understanding the symptom experience and health outcomes of older adults with and without Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD) and polypharmacy (PPY). The primary aim of the study was to compare the number of symptoms experienced over time in older adults with and without ADRD by polypharmacy status. The secondary aim was to examine the trajectory of physical function and health outcomes over time in each group.
This study utilized longitudinal data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries from 2016-2019. The sample was separated into four groups (= 2,052): neither ADRD or PPY (= 1,048), PPY only (= 761), ADRD only (= 116), and both ADRD and PPY(= 127).
The overall sample was predominately female (57.9%), White (70.9%), aged 84 or younger (75%), married (46%), and had some college or a college degree (50%). Participants with both ADRD and PPY experienced more symptoms on average, had higher odds of falls, hospitalizations, and mortality than all other groups. Older adults with both ADRD and PPY had lower physical function, needed more assistance with activities of daily living and higher assistive device utilization compared to the other three groups.
Findings indicate that older adults with both ADRD and PPY experience more symptoms, negative health outcomes and physical function decline that can negatively impact their quality of life. Further research is needed to identify strategies for reducing PPY in people with ADRD.
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Details
- Title
- Impact of Polypharmacy on Symptoms and Health Outcomes in Older Adults With and Without Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
- Creators
- Martha C Coates (Corresponding Author) - Drexel UniversityLeslie A McClure - Drexel UniversityDaniel Vader - Drexel UniversityMargaret Finley - Drexel UniversityJustine S Sefcik - Drexel UniversityLaura N Gitlin - Drexel UniversityRose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Biological research for nursing, v 27(1), pp 47-59
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grant note
- National Institute on Aging: U01AG032947 National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): K23NR018673
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work is supported by the National Institute on Aging (U01AG032947) to the National Health and Aging Trends Study; National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (K23NR018673) to J.S. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Doctoral Nursing; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; College of Nursing and Health Professions; Physical Therapy (and Rehabilitation Sciences)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001328936600001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85205855364
- Other Identifier
- 991021910585304721
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