Is it Aging, or Is it a Side Effect?

. . . symptoms considered signs of aging may be the effects of prescription drugs Appetite loss, muscle pain and weakness, increased risk of falling and fractures, sedation, depression, poor memory and general cognitive decline, hallucinations, confusion, lethargy and fatigue, constipation, orthostatic hypotension, and renal failure are some of the symptoms commonly attributed to aging. But they may instead be the effects of prescription drugs. A guest blog for Scientific American by journalist Laura Newman was prompted by the death of her 92-year-old mother from statin side effects. At 5'1" and 105 pounds, Newman's mother had been prescribed 80 mg/day of the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin -- a dose that's been criticized as too high for anyone. When she developed muscle weakness (later diagnosed as life-threatening rhabdomyolysis), her physician attributed it to aging and considered it no cause for concern. Her final diagnoses were rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, both side effects of statins. Newman believes her mother's case was not unusual. She points to a recent study of elderly ICU survivors in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which found that 85% were discharged with one or more potentially inappropriate medicines, and that more than 50% had been prescribed medications deemed more harmful than beneficial. Newman focuses on the considerable problem of overdosed and inappropriately prescribed medications; however even properly prescribed drugs kill thousands of people yearly. Modern medicine has become one of our leading causes of death, not to mention disability and suffering. Citations:Newman L. Overprescribing the healthy elderly: Why funding research and drug safety is paramount. Scientific American online blog, June 30, 2011. Morandi A. Inappropriate medications in elderly ICU survivors: Where to intervene? Archives of Internal Medicine. 2011;171(11):1032-1034.