Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome in Polypharmacy.

OBJECTIVES

Risk factors for motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), a predementia syndrome characterized by slow gait and cognitive complaints, have been identified, but few are reversible. Polypharmacy is a potentially reversible risk factor for cognitive decline, but the relationship between MCR and polypharmacy has not been examined. Our aim was to compare the epidemiology of MCR and polypharmacy.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

Community-based Health and Retirement Study cohort.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1119 adults 65 years and older (mean age = 74.7 ± 7.0 y; 59% female).

MEASUREMENTS

Polypharmacy is defined as the use of five or more regularly scheduled medications. MCR is defined as cognitive complaints and slow gait in an individual without dementia.

RESULTS

The prevalence of MCR among 417 participants with polypharmacy was 10%; it was 6% among 702 participants without polypharmacy. The odds of meeting MCR criteria in those with polypharmacy was 1.8 (confidence interval = 1.0-3.0; P = .035) compared with those without polypharmacy, even after adjusting for high-risk medication use.

CONCLUSION

Our results show the coexistence of MCR and polypharmacy in older adults, suggesting a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1072-1077, 2020.