In older adults, polypharmacy has been associated with which of the following clinical outcomes?

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Multiple Choice

In older adults, polypharmacy has been associated with which of the following clinical outcomes?

Explanation:
Polypharmacy raises the risk of adverse drug events and drug interactions in older adults because aging changes how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted. When medication problems occur—such as unexpected side effects, interactions, or dosing errors—they often lead to acute illnesses that require medical care, including hospital admission. This makes hospitalization the most consistently observed and clinically important outcome linked to taking many medications. While frailty, falls, and mortality can also be associated with polypharmacy, hospitalizations are a direct, measurable consequence frequently seen in research and clinical practice due to adverse drug events and complex drug regimens.

Polypharmacy raises the risk of adverse drug events and drug interactions in older adults because aging changes how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted. When medication problems occur—such as unexpected side effects, interactions, or dosing errors—they often lead to acute illnesses that require medical care, including hospital admission. This makes hospitalization the most consistently observed and clinically important outcome linked to taking many medications.

While frailty, falls, and mortality can also be associated with polypharmacy, hospitalizations are a direct, measurable consequence frequently seen in research and clinical practice due to adverse drug events and complex drug regimens.

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