When Should Iatrogenic Polypharmacy Be Considered a Disease?

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Medicine
• Neurology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Polypharmacy is common in elderly patients, often involving 17 or more medications.
• Managing multiple medications can lead to complex health issues.
• The definition of disease and treatment is challenged by iatrogenic effects.

Observation:

• An elderly patient presented with new neurological symptoms.
• The patient was taking 17 different medications concurrently.
• The symptoms raised questions about underlying neurological disease versus medication side effects.

Findings:

• Polypharmacy can obscure the diagnosis of a primary neurological disease.
• Iatrogenic polypharmacy, when contributing to symptoms, warrants consideration as a disease.
• Treating polypharmacy as a disease offers a new therapeutic approach.

Implications:

• This perspective challenges traditional disease classification and treatment paradigms.
• Rethinking polypharmacy as a treatable condition may improve patient outcomes.
• Further research is needed to define diagnostic criteria and treatments for iatrogenic polypharmacy.