Background
The benefit or harm of a single medication recommended for one specific condition can be difficult to determine in patients with multiple chronic conditions and polypharmacy. There is limited information on the associations between guideline-recommended medications and physical function in older adults with multiple chronic conditions.
Objectives
To estimate the beneficial or harmful associations between guideline-recommended medications and decline in physical function in older adults with multiple chronic conditions.
Design
Prospective observational cohort.
Setting
National
Participants
Community dwelling adults aged 65 and older from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey study (N=3273). Participants with atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, depression, diabetes or heart failure were included.
Measurements
Self-reported decline in physical function, guideline-recommended medications, polypharmacy (taking fewer than 7 versus 7 or more concomitant medications), chronic conditions, socio-demographic, behavioral, and health risk factors.
Results
The risk of decline in function in the overall sample was highest in participants with heart failure (35.4%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 26.3–44.5) and lowest for those with atrial fibrillation (20.6%, 95% CI = 14.9–26.2). In the overall sample, none of the six guideline-recommended medications was associated with decline un physical function across the five study conditions, although in the group with low polypharmacy exposure, there was lower risk of decline in those with heart failure taking renin angiotensin system blockers (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.16–0.99) and greater risk of decline in physical function for participants with diabetes taking statins (HR= 2.27, 95% CI = 1.39–3.69).
Conclusions
In older adults with multiple chronic conditions, guideline-recommended medications for atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, depression, diabetes and heart failure were largely not associated with self-reported decline in physical function, although associations for some medications were present in those with a lower polypharmacy exposure.