Polypharmacy's Impact on Rural Thai Elderly Health

📅 Jun 23, 2026 · Aging clinical and experimental research

Background Information

Polypharmacy burdens older adults in rural Thailand significantly.

There is a significant burden of disease due to polypharmacy and multimorbidity in older adults, particularly in rural areas of Thailand, requiring targeted interventions. Polypharmacy affected 59.5% of participants, contributing to 4,035,612 DALYs; multimorbidity affected 48.6%, contributing 3,301,572 DALYs. Diabetes accounted for the highest disease burden. The findings stress the need for medication optimization in older adults, especially due to the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications. Results are specific to the studied region and might not apply to broader populations. Polypharmacy and inappropriate medications significantly impact the health of elderly rural Thai populations.

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Authors: Kedthongma W, Kasawong S, Phoosuwan N, Phakdeekul W

Citation: Kedthongma W, Kasawong S, Phoosuwan N, et al. Assessing disability-adjusted life years (DALY) from multiple medication use and multiple illnesses of older adults in rural Thailand. Aging clinical and experimental research. 2026. doi:10.1007/s40520-026-03435-y

Article Links: PubMed · Journal / DOI

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