Date of Publication :31st December 2023

Abstract: Demographic ageing has concluded for a growing multitude of aged people living with chronic diseases(multimorbidity) consuming five or more medicaments(polypharmacy) on an everyday basis. Ageing induces major differences in the cardiovascular system and represents the most dominant, potent single cardiovascular risk element. Cardiovascular diseases comprise of the greatest implications for the elderly, the healthcare systems and the caregivers involved throughout the process. Cardiovascular pharmacotherapy in the aged is complicated and burdensome because of age-related variations in body compositions, homeostatic mechanisms, organ functioning, and comorbidities enhances the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular drugs, which are in common use. Furthermore, polypharmacy results in an increased morbi-mortality and healthcare costs due to increased risk of drug interaction and it’s reaction. Lamentably, proof of drug efficacy and welfare of older citizens with multi morbidity and polypharmacy is restricted because these individuals are habitually excluded from clinical trials. In addition, clinical guidelines are written with a single- disease focus at large and only rarely addresses the issue of coordination of care, duration, and treatment discontinuation methodology, if required, or how to prioritize recommendations for patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy.
This review scrutinizes the major challenges confronting healthcare professionals when prescribing in the elderly with CVD, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy. The objective is to impart information that can contribute to improving fragmented and siloed healthcare system and drug prescribing, early and accurate diagnosis of CVDs, as well as drug adherence and clinical outcomes.

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