Seniors taking multiple medications may face unexpected health effects

Older adults discharged from hospitals on multiple medications are less likely to regain independence during rehabilitation, a new study suggests.

The Japanese study, published in the journal BMC Geriatrics Dec. 17, explored the effects of polypharmacy — defined as taking six or more regular medications on a regular basis — at a convalescent rehabilitation hospital in Japan.

The retrospective observational study looked at 1,903 patients 65 and older who underwent rehabilitation at the hospital from April 2017 to March 2024...