Polifarmácia e transtornos cognitivos em idosos

Main Article Content

Vitorino Modesto dos Santos
Laura Campos Modesto

Resumo

Dear Editor, We read with especial interest the recent article by Maragno et al. about the adverse effects of the concomitant use of multiple drugs by elderly people.1 The study included 141 patients from the age groups between 60 to 69 years (36.9%) and 70 to 79 years (34.0%), and 74.5% of the individuals were females. Scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Brazilian OARS Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire (BOMFAQ) quantified their functional and cognitive capacity. The majority of patients (124) had arterial hypertension (94), dyslipidemia (51), and diabetes mellitus (40). The average number of drugs per patient was 4.4; and the more often used drugs were omeprazole, simvastatin, acetylsalicylic acid, hydrochlorothiazide, enalapril, losartan, and metformin. Polypharmacy (more than four drugs) occurred in 61 patients, 80 used one to four drugs, and 47 used five to nine drugs. There were 15 patients with inappropriate prescription of the following medications: zolpidem, amitriptyline, diazepam, and clonazepam. Scores of MoCA and BOMFAQ quantified their functional and cognitive capacity.1

Article Details

Seção
Carta ao Editor