J Am Geriatr Soc

Do CNS-active drugs raise readmission risk in older adults?

October 23, 2025

Study details: A prospective cohort of 2,008 older multimorbid inpatients with polypharmacy was analyzed (NCT02986425) to assess the relationship between the number of CNS-active medications at discharge and 1-year outcomes. Adjusted Cox models evaluated all-cause and drug-related hospital readmission, mortality, quality of life (EQ-5D-VAS), and functional status (Barthel Index), controlling for demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors.

Results: Each additional CNS-active medication at discharge was associated with a 7% increased risk of both all-cause and drug-related hospital readmission (hazard ratio [HR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.12 and 1.01–1.14, respectively), and a 14% increased risk of death (HR, 1.14, 95% CI, 1.07–1.23) over one year. Furthermore, incremental CNS-active medications correlated with lower quality of life (mean EQ-5D-VAS difference −2.13) and reduced functional status (mean Barthel Index difference −1.6) at one year.

Clinical impact: Discharging older multimorbid adults on multiple CNS-active medications substantially increases their risk of readmission, drug-related complications, death, and functional decline. These findings underscore the importance of careful medication review and deprescribing strategies at hospital discharge for this vulnerable population.

Source:

Stuber MJ, et al. (2025, August 29). J Am Geratr Soc. Central Nervous System-Active Medications and Risk of Hospital Readmission in Older Multimorbid Adults. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40879205/