Taking Multiple Prescription Drugs Raises Risks for Aging Adults With and Without HIV

A study published in AIDS highlights the potential risks of prescribing additional medications to aging adults with multiple medical conditions, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers analyzed outcomes for HIV-positive and uninfected individuals, typically older than 50, who received at least one prescription from the VA in 2009, focusing on non-antiretroviral (ARV) drug prescriptions. They followed these individuals for an average of six years, and learned non-ARV polypharmacy was common among aging adults with and without HIV infection. After adjusting for the severity of the subjects' illnesses, the researchers determined polypharmacy continued to be associated with hospitalization and death. Significantly, the more drugs prescribed, the greater the risks for both groups of subjects. "The point of this study is that we need to start looking at medications among people with multiple conditions very carefully," says Yale University's Amy Justice. "Clearly HIV must be treated. But how many other medications a person should be taking remains an open question." Justice notes given the similar outcomes for individuals without HIV, the study also may be important for future research on polypharmacy in all aging adults.