Older people’s risk mixing their drugs with alternative therapies
AN ESTIMATED 1.3m older Britons may be putting themselves at risk by taking alternative therapies which could potentially interact with their prescribed drugs, a new study suggests.
GPs should ask their patients about herbal and supplement usage to identify potential side effects, according to the authors of a small study published in the British Journal of General Practice.
Researchers polled 155 people over the age of 65 who were taking at least one prescription drug. One in three (33.6 per cent) were found to also be taking herbal medicinal products or dietary supplements alongside their prescription medicine.
These patients took between one and eight additional products, with women more likely to take them than men.
The most commonly used dietary supplements were cod liver oil, glucosamine, multivitamins, and vitamin D. While common herbal medicinal products were evening primrose oil, valerian, and a branded herbal product that includes hops, gentian, and passion flower.
Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire identified that 16 participants were at risk of potential adverse drug interactions.
Potential adverse side effects of interactions can include reducing the effectiveness of the prescription medication, risk of bleeding and increased blood glucose concentrations.
“One-third of older adults in this study’s sample were using an herbal medicinal product or supplement concurrently with prescription drugs,” the authors wrote.
“About one in three concurrent users was at risk of a potential herb-drug or supplement-drug interaction.”
Royal College of GPs chairwoman Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said: “Our ageing population means that more people are living longer, often with more than one long-term condition.
As a result they are often, quite appropriately, taking multiple prescribed medications in order to treat and manage these conditions.”