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Polypharmacy and Therapeutic Inertia in Extreme Longevity: A Potential Clinical Ageism Scenario Secondary to Important Gaps in Clinical Evidence
María Viviana Pantoja, Ivan David Lozada-Martinez
J Prev Med Public Health. 2024;57(5):508-510.   Published online September 27, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.24.364
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AbstractAbstract AbstractSummary PDF
Population aging is a global health priority due to the dramatic increase in the proportion of older persons worldwide. It is also expected that both global life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy will increase, leading to a significant rise in the proportion of individuals with extreme longevity, such as non-agenarians and centenarians. The inaccuracy of clinical evidence on therapeutic interventions for this demographic could lead to biased decision-making, influenced by age-related beliefs or misperceptions about their therapeutic needs. This represents a potential clinical ageism scenario stemming from gaps in clinical evidence. Such biases can result in 2 significant issues that adversely affect the health status and prognosis of older persons: polypharmacy and therapeutic inertia. To date, documents on polypharmacy in non-agenarians and centenarians account for less than 0.35% of the overall available evidence on polypharmacy. Furthermore, evidence regarding therapeutic inertia is non-existent. The purpose of this letter is to discuss polypharmacy and therapeutic inertia as potential clinical ageism scenarios resulting from the clinical evidence gaps in extreme longevity.
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The inaccuracy of clinical evidence on therapeutic interventions for extreme longevity (nonagenarians and centenarians) could lead to biased decision-making, influenced by age-related beliefs or misperceptions about their therapeutic needs: polypharmacy and therapeutic inertia. To date, documents on polypharmacy in nonagenarians and centenarians account for less than 0.35% of the overall available evidence on polypharmacy. Furthermore, evidence regarding therapeutic inertia is non-existent. This letter discusses polypharmacy and therapeutic inertia as potential clinical ageism scenarios resulting from the clinical evidence gaps in extreme longevity.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
  • Association between home care and health phenotype of centenarians: Is it a necessary new criterion in home health care?
    Ivan David Lozada‐Martinez, Paula Andrea Correa‐Diaz, Jorge Luis Correa‐Rosales, Juan‐Manuel Anaya
    Australasian Journal on Ageing.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef

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