Assistant Professor Michelle Keller

Editor’s note: Michelle Keller is an assistant professor of gerontology and holder of the Leonard and Sophie Davis Early Career Endowed Chair in Minority Aging at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. She and coauthor Utibe Essien of UCLA were recently invited to comment on new research regarding anti-coagulant use in older adults for JAMA Internal Medicine. They discussed the health risks of inappropriately prescribed blood thinners and how reducing polypharmacy — patients taking multiple medications at the same time — could both lower costs and decrease the risk of harmful medication interactions.

“Despite the evidence against antiplatelet use for stroke prevention, these therapies are often prescribed for atrial fibrillation. However, few have characterized this potentially inappropriate use in older adults. … Ensuring appropriate care for older adults with atrial fibrillation is a public health imperative. Beyond atrial fibrillation, eliminating polypharmacy to reduce adverse events and high pharmaceutical costs for patients and their families is an important health equity goal.”

Read more at JAMA Internal Medicine (may require subscription).