Home / Health / Elderly Hit by Cascade of Unnecessary Pills
Elderly Hit by Cascade of Unnecessary Pills
1 Oct
Summary
- Side effects of common drugs lead to new prescriptions.
- Study analyzed 2.3 million older adults in Ontario.
- Cardiovascular drugs caused most prescribing cascades.
Side effects from prevalent medications like blood pressure drugs and iron supplements are resulting in unintended additional prescriptions for seniors, a recent study indicates. Researchers from Sinai Health and the University of Toronto analyzed data from approximately 2.3 million adults aged 66 and older in Ontario.
The study identified 24 common and harmful 'prescribing cascades,' where side effects of one medication are mistaken for new health problems, leading to further prescriptions. Cardiovascular drugs were found to be the primary culprits, with users often prescribed new medications for side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation.
Other frequent cascades involved iron supplements leading to laxative prescriptions, statins for high cholesterol prompting pain reliever use, and cholinesterase inhibitors for conditions like Alzheimer's leading to sleep aids. Dr. Paula Rochon, the study's corresponding author, emphasized the importance of patients knowing their medication history to identify these problematic sequences.
