| Abstract [eng] |
Relevance of work. Polypharmacy, which is most commonly defined as the use of five or more drugs, is a medical challenge of the 21st century, which is becoming more and more relevant in the world, especially in the West. It is expected that by 2050, the proportion of the elderly population in Lithuania will be one of the largest in Europe. Elderly individuals frequently experience a higher incidence of various illnesses, leading to an increased dependency on medications. This dependency can adversely affect both their cognitive and physical function. The aim of thesis. To determine the associations of polypharmacy with cognitive and physical impairment of older people. The objectives of this study are: 1. To explain the definition of polypharmacy and its causes. 2. To find out how polypharmacy affects people's cognitive and physical functions in older age. 3. To determine strategies for addressing inappropriate polypharmacy among older adults. Methodology. A narrative literature review approach was selected to investigate the connection between polypharmacy and cognitive as well as physical impairments in the elderly population. A comprehensive search for relevant scientific articles was performed using the PubMed database, along with specialized information search systems such as Google Scholar and Cochrane. The keywords used in the search were: "polypharmacy", "elderly", "older adults", "cognitive impairment", "physical impairment". Results. The worldwide average prevalence of polypharmacy in individuals aged 65 and older is approximately 30 – 50 percent. Polypharmacy is typically defined as the concurrent use of five or more medications. In older adults, polypharmacy is linked to an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Polypharmacy in older adults is also associated with increased falls, frailty, sarcopenia, disability, longer hospitalizations, and increased mortality. Polypharmacy is believed to adversely affect cognitive and physical well-being of older adults through mechanisms such as non-adherence to medication regimens, use of potentially inappropriate medications, harmful drug-drug and drug-disease interactions, drug cascades, and adverse drug reactions. Conclusions. While the findings of the studies are not entirely clear-cut, most of the research included in the literature review indicates that polypharmacy among older adults is linked to impairments in both cognitive and physical functions. |
