also known as cognitive impairment). Cognitive difficulties were more common among people who also had problems performing their routine daily activities.
In the study, 74 percent of the participants took five or more medications. People who had difficulty performing their daily activities took more medications and were more likely to take more than five medications compared to people who didn't have trouble performing their routine daily activities.
The authors suggested that health care providers might not be taking limitations in performing routine daily activities into account when prescribing drugs for people with heart failure. This may unnecessarily expose older people with heart failure to a higher risk of harmful side effects associated with their prescriptions.
This summary is from "Association Between Functional Impairment and Medication Burden Among Adults with Heart Failure." It appears online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study authors are Parag Goyal, MD, MSc; Joanna Bryan, MPH; Jerard Kneifati-Hayek, MD; Madeline R. Sterling, MD, MPH; Samprit Banerjee, PhD; Mathew S. Maurer, MD; Mark S. Lachs, MD, MPH; and Monika M. Safford MD.
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About the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Included in more than 9,000 library collections around the world, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) highlights emerging insights on principles of aging, approaches to older patients, geriatric syndromes, geriatric psychiatry, and geriatric diseases and disorders. First published in 1953, JAGS is now one of the oldest and most impactful publications on gerontology and geriatrics, according to ISI Journal Citation Reports®. Visit wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/JGS for more details.
About the American Geriatrics Society
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals that has--for 75 years--worked to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Its nearly 6,000 members include geriatricians, geriatric nurses, social workers, family practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and internists. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy. For more information, visit AmericanGeriatrics.org.