Study links taking five or more prescriptions to sharply higher death risk in seniors

A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reports that seniors consuming five or more prescription medications have a substantially higher risk of death compared with peers on fewer drugs. Researchers, headed by Alexander Chaitoff of the University of Michigan School of Medicine, analyzed national survey data from 7,828 adults aged 65+ collected from 1999 to 2016, confirming medication lists by inspecting pill bottles and then following participants for an average of 8.5 years.

More than half of the cohort fell into at least one high-risk medication category, and 11.4% were on combinations prone to major drug-to-drug interactions. Even after controlling for overall health and chronic conditions, polypharmacy was associated with a 38% increase in mortality, and each additional prescription added roughly a 7% higher death risk. Experts from the Cleveland Clinic highlighted that aging kidneys and liver reduce drug clearance, raising the chance of adverse reactions and accidental overdose. The authors suggest the findings could guide clinicians in "deprescribing" unnecessary medicines, though they caution the study only shows association, not causation, and excluded residents of nursing homes.