Drug Combinations Putting Seniors at Risk

Jacobs noted that the increase in the number of people taking drugs is a good thing. "There has been an intensification of therapy for disease," she reasoned.

However, there has also been a growth in the number of medications and an increased effort in marketing them, which makes people seek out doctors who will prescribe them, Jacobs said. In addition, there has also been an increase in the use of supplements, she noted.

"Often patients have difficulty evaluating the appropriateness of supplements with their own medical problems," Jacobs said. "They are not seeking the advice of their physician on supplement use," she said.

Common adverse drug reactions include:

• Lisinopril (Prinivil) plus potassium can elevate blood-potassium levels and disrupt heart rhythm.
• Warfarin (Coumadin) plus simvastatin (Zocor) can increase bleeding risk.
• Warfarin (Coumadin) plus aspirin can increase bleeding risk.
• Atorvastatin (Lipitor) plus niacin can cause muscle weakness, muscle breakdown
• Simvastatin (Zocor) and niacin can cause muscle weakness and muscle breakdown.
• Ginkgo plus aspirin can increase bleeding risk.

More information

For more information on drug interactions, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine .