Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
17th Congress of the European Geriatric Medicine Society, Athens, Yunanistan, 11 - 13 Ekim 2021, cilt.12, ss.116
Introduction: Polypharmacy is a common problem seen in older adults and associated with adverse outcomes like falls and fractures. Ambulation is an indicator of good functionality and health status. Therefore, the relationship between polypharmacy and physical performance is an issue that needs to be clarified. Our aim was to study the association of polypharmacy with physical performance measures.
Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in a geriatric outpatient clinic on community dwelling older adults. Using C 5 medications was accepted as polypharmacy. Usual gait speed (UGS), chair sit-to-stand test (CSST), timed up and go test (TUG) and short physical performance battery (SPPB) were performed to assess physical performance status. We studied the association of polypharmacy with the performance measures by univariate and multivariate analyses. We created two models for logistic regression analyses: Model 1 was adjusted for age, sex and body mass index (BMI). We added comorbidities to Model 1 and further created Model 2.
Results: There were 392 participants (69.1% were female, mean age: 73.9 ± 6.2 years). Polypharmacy was seen in 62.5%. All of the physical performance measures studied were significantly associated with polypharmacy. Polypharmacy was independently associated with slow UGS, poor SPPB scores and long CSST in all of the created models in regression analyses; except for UGS in Model 2.
Conclusion: Polypharmacy may be related to impairment in physical performance and this may be the keypoint of its relationship with falls, fractures and disabilities. Further studies are needed to understand the relationship of polypharmacy to mobility and physical performance.