Background: Polypharmacy has been linked to multiple undesirable effects notably medication, non-compliance and adverse drug reactions. Objective: This case-control study aimed to determine the association between polypharmacy and dementia among Filipino elderly patients in a tertiary care hospital in Metro Manila, Philippines. Methods: The average daily use of medications was compared between cases and controls composed of admitted Filipino elderly patients with and without dementia, respectively, while controlling for co-morbidities and sociodemographic factors. Data collection was accomplished by obtaining relevant information from medical records. These underwent descriptive statistical analysis, chi-square test, and logistic regression. The odds ratio between dementia and polypharmacy was ultimately determined, among other variables. Results: The incidence of polypharmacy is 12.6% greater in those with diagnosed dementia vis-à-vis those without. Although multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio of dementia was 1.474 (95% CI 0.834–2.604) for those considered to experience polypharmacy compared to patients using four or less drugs, none of the variables identified, including polypharmacy, have p-values of less than 0.05. Conclusion The risk of developing dementia does not have a statistically significant association with the number of regularly administered medications in the Filipino elderly. Other variables also revealed no significant correlation on both bivariate and multivariate analyses. This may be the first study to report such an absence of association, particularly in the Philippines, and thus calls for further research and investigation on this subject.
Polypharmacy ; Dementia ; Case-Control Studies