{"id":4703,"date":"2024-04-22T09:02:20","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T09:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=4703"},"modified":"2024-04-22T09:26:17","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T09:26:17","slug":"taking-multiple-medications-you-may-need-to-scale-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=4703","title":{"rendered":"Taking Multiple Medications? You May Need to Scale Back."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Many people in the United States are taking five or more prescription drugs. That can lead to serious complications.<\/p>\n

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Around one in five adults between the ages of 40 to 79 is taking five or more prescription drugs, according to data<\/a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the older patients are, the more likely it is they\u2019re taking even more medications.<\/p>\n

But taking many medicines simultaneously, known among medical experts as polypharmacy, increases people\u2019s risk of experiencing severe side effects and drug interactions, said Dr. Nina Blachman, an assis\u00adtant professor of medicine and geriatrics at the N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

Studies show that taking multiple medications is associated with a faster decline in memory<\/a> in some patients with mild cognitive impairment, and with a greater risk of falls<\/a> among people with balance problems or weakened muscles. And certain combinations of drugs can lead to excessive bleeding, dangerously low blood sugar or other serious complications that lead to hundreds of older adults being hospitalized<\/a> every day.<\/p>\n

While medicines can be critical for improving our quality of life, it is important to understand how people end up taking too many drugs unnecessarily and when to ask for help trimming your prescription list.<\/p>\n