<unk>  (polypragmasia) is most commonly defined as the use of five or more medications daily by an individual. However, the definition of<unk>  is still debated and can vary from two to 11 concurrent medications. Some studies also generally define<unk>  as the use of multiple concurrent medications or simultaneous long term use of different drugs by the same individual. The prevalence of<unk>  is estimated to be between 10% and 90% depending on the definition used, the age group studied, and the geographic location.<unk>  continues to grow in importance because of aging populations. Many countries are experiencing a fast growth of the older population, 65 years and older. This growth is a result of the baby-boomer generation getting older and an increased life expectancy as a result of ongoing improvement in health care services worldwide. About 21% of adults with intellectual disability are also exposed to<unk> . There can be appropriate or inappropriate use of<unk> .<unk>  is not necessarily ill-advised, but in many instances can lead to negative outcomes or poor treatment effectiveness, often being more harmful than helpful or presenting too much risk for too little benefit. Therefore, health professionals consider it a situation that requires monitoring and review to validate whether all of the medications are still necessary. Concerns about<unk>  include increased adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, prescribing cascade, and higher costs.<unk>  is often associated with a decreased quality of life, including decreased mobility and cognition. Whether or not the advantages of<unk>  (over taking single medications or monotherapy) outweigh the disadvantages or risks depends upon the particular combination and diagnosis involved in any given case. The use of multiple drugs, even in fairly straightforward illnesses, is not an indicator of poor treatment and is not necessarily overmedication. Moreover, it is well accepted in pharmacology that it is impossible to accurately predict the side effects or clinical effects of a combination of drugs without studying that particular combination of drugs in test subjects. Knowledge of the pharmacologic profiles of the individual drugs in question does not assure accurate prediction of the side effects of combinations of those drugs; and effects also vary among individuals because of genome-specific pharmacokinetics. Therefore, deciding whether and how to reduce a list of medications (deprescribe) is often not simple and requires the experience and judgment of a practicing physician. However, such thoughtful and wise review is an ideal that too often does not happen, owing to problems such as poorly handled care transitions (poor continuity of care, usually because of siloed information), overworked physicians, and interventionism.
Polypharmacy
Premorbidity
Sedentary lifestyle
Multimorbidity
Vegetarianism
SAMPLE history
Video game addiction
Abuse during childbirth