Want to stay robust at 90? Stop popping pills!

New Delhi: Doctors say that if you wish to stay strong even at the age of 90, its important to rely less on medicines.

In a study published in the American Geriatrics Society journal, scientists have found out that as one ages, one tends to develop a number of chronic health conditions and concerns.

Often, managing health problems can mean that older adults may take many different medications. When older adults take five or more medicines (a scenario called "polypharmacy" by health experts), it can increase the risk for harmful side effects.

Interestingly, taking more than five medications is linked to frailty, perhaps because the medications interact to affect our ability to function well as we age.

Frailty is a problem associated with aging. Someone who is frail can be weak, have less endurance, and be less able to function well. Frailty increases the risk for falls, disability, and even death.

Recently, a team of researchers examined information from a large German study of older adults called ESTHER (Epidemiological Study on Chances for Prevention, Early Detection, and Optimized Therapy of Chronic Diseases at Old Age) to learn how taking more than five medicines might affect frailty in older adults.

The researchers looked at information from nearly 2,000 participants in the ESTHER study, which began in 2000 with nearly 10,000 participants. Follow-ups on participants were conducted after two, five, eight, and 11 years. People in the study were between 50- and 75-years-old when the study began.

(With ANI inputs)