Feasibility of Measuring Physical Function by Wearable Devices During Deprescribing of Anticholinergic and Sedative...

Cumulative exposure to anticholinergic and sedative medications has been associated with worsening physical function in older adults. We evaluated the feasibility of measuring physical function using wearable devices and explored the impact of reducing the anticholinergic and sedative medication burden in a pilot study of community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older. Evaluations included the 10-meter walk test (10MWT), the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and the mini-BESTest. Two participants/month were recruited in one clinic in 2022. The five participants had a median age of 67, a median DBI of 1.7, and four were female. The feasibility analysis showed that the 10MWT and SPPB tests were completed on 12/12, and the mini-BESTest on 11/12. An exploratory analysis showed clinically meaningful improvements in gait speed (mean +0.18 m/s) and SPPB (mean +2.2 points). We showed the feasibility of measuring physical function by wearable devices during deprescribing of anticholinergic and sedative medications.