Association of Polypharmacy and Health-Related Quality of Life Among US Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the 2022 MEPS Data

Polypharmacy is common among aging populations and is associated with adverse health outcomes. We designed this cross-sectional study to determine the association of polypharmacy with physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among the United States (US) adults aged ≥50 years. We used the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, 2022, and conducted the analysis on 5343 adults. Polypharmacy was operationalized as the use of five or more medications simultaneously. HRQoL was assessed via physical and mental component summary scores from the 12-item short form health survey. We applied a multivariate linear regression model to determine the relationship between polypharmacy and HRQoL, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors (age, sex, race/ethnicity, and marital status) and comorbidities (diabetes and cardiovascular disease). Polypharmacy was reported by 70% of participants and was significantly associated with decreased physical (adjusted β: −2.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −3.64, −2.26, R2 = 0.25, p < 0.001) and mental HRQoL (adjusted β: −0.85, 95% CI: −1.48, −0.22, R2 = 0.07, p < 0.001). Other significant predictors of poor HRQoL included female sex, unmarried status, public insurance, lower educational attainment, and higher comorbidity index (p < 0.001). In contrast, higher education and private insurance were associated with better HRQoL. Based on the study findings, it is crucial to invest in programs and targeted interventions such as routine medication review and deprescribing strategies to reduce the negative impact of polypharmacy on HRQoL among US adults.