Functional decline associated with polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications in community-dwelling older adults with dementia.
Lau DT, Mercaldo ND, Shega JW, et al. Functional decline associated with polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications in community-dwelling older adults with dementia. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2011;26(8):606-615. doi:10.1177/1533317511432734.
Elderly patients with dementia who were prescribed more than five medications were at greater risk of long-term functional decline. However, prescribing potentially inappropriate medications (as determined by the Beers criteria) was not correlated with worsened functional status. Other studies have also called the utility of Beers criteria into question.