In America, the elderly population of 60 and above makes up approximately 8%. However, more than one-third of all pharmaceutical medicines prescribed by physicians go to them! Considering that the elderly person is prescribed 6 different medications to be taken simultaneously, it is not surprising to discover that some of the medicinal side-effects are related to increased signs of aging.
For instance, forgetfulness, incontinence, dementia, fatigue, weariness, lethargy, impotence and digestive problems traits most people would associate with old age. But several drugs routinely prescribed to elderly populations, including for blood pressure and cholesterol management, also have these symptoms as known side effects.
Though there is no current study being referenced that proves the correlation between the consistent over-medication of the elderly population and their speed of deterioration into senility and age-related incapacity, it does raise the question as to why removing most of the simultaneously prescribed medications can very often reduce the unwanted symptoms.
