HHS HealthBeat (January 28, 2009)

Bad mixes

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From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Mixing medications without having a doctor check first is a bad idea, but a study indicates a lot of older people do it. Researchers say the survey of more than 3,000 people ages 57 through 85 found more than half used five or more prescription medications, over-the-counter medications or dietary supplements.

At the University of Chicago Medical Center, Stacy Tessler Lindau:

[Stacy Tessler Lindau speaks] ``The number of medications older adults are taking are increasing. And we worry about the potential interactions between these drugs because they may have some safety implications.’’

The study says about 4 percent are at risk of an adverse drug reaction. It notes that some of the mixes can send people to the emergency room.

The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: January, 28 2009