Monitoring The Level of Polypharmacy in Older People Diagnosed with Hypertension

Proceedings of the 2nd Global Conference on Aging and Gerontology

Year: 2025

DOI:

[PDF]

Monitoring The Level of Polypharmacy in Older People Diagnosed with Hypertension

Jacqueline Sepúlveda Carreño, Benjamín Vásquez Remolcoy, Isis Chamblás García, Gonzalo Rojas Durán, Claudia Sáez Flores, Pamela Guevara Álvez

ABSTRACT:

The increase in life expectancy is generally associated with co-morbidities and chronic use of medications, which generate fragility and decreased quality of life in older people. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the use of drugs in older people, with hypertension, treated at the Hualpencillo Health Center in Hualpén, Chile. The medication use of older people was monitored through the TrakCare platform, the health information system of the Talcahuano Health Service, for a period of 5 years. The main results show that in 2018, 66.7% of the 91 participating had polypharmacy, being higher in women (70.4%) than in men (60%) and 145 drug interactions were recorded. In 2023, 42 people (46%) were still enrolled in the study and 83.3% had polypharmacy, remaining higher in women (85.2) than in men (80%) and 243 drug interactions were recorded. Our study showed that aging is associated with an increase in polypharmacy, the risk of drug interactions and suffering from some geriatric syndrome such as falls, urinary incontinence and cognitive impairment, among others. To promote healthy longevity, it is relevant to implement health literacy strategies for elderly care centers and periodically evaluate pharmacological treatments and deprescribing strategies to avoid adverse effects and complications derived from the use of drugs.

Acknowledgment: Proyecto Fondef IT21I0097, ANID.

keywords: Aging, clinical trials, drug-interactions, longevity, pharmacological-treatments