The Contribution of Medication Use to Recent Trends in Old-Age Functioning

The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which changes in medication use account for improvements in functioning among older Americans. Using several waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey of non-institutionalized Americans ages 51-61, the authors examine changes between 1992 and 1998 and between 1994 and 2000 in the prevalence of functional limitations and medication use associated with five highly prevalent and often debilitating chronic conditions: hypertension, diabetes, lung disease, stroke, and arthritis. [54 PDF pages]