Regular medicines linked with longer lifespan

Taking medication on a regular basis, including placebo or ‘fake’ medicine, can help to lower the risk of early death, scientists have found.

Over 46,000 people took part in 21 studies, with those taking their medication most regularly found to have half the risk of mortality than those with poor adherence.

Published in this week’s British Medical Journal (BMJ), the research suggests that this is due to the “healthy adherer” effect, whereby taking regular medication is a marker for overall healthy behaviour.

“It is quite possible that people who adhere to healthy lifestyles also tend to take care of themselves by greater adherence to prescribed treatments,” wrote Betty Chewning, director of the Sonderegger Research Institute, in the BMJ commentary.

Even taking placebo pills regularly can help as people feel “emotional and cognitive processes of feeling cared for and caring for oneself”.

Poor adherence in some participants was found to be partly due to a conscious decision to lower their dosage as well other from suffering from conditions such as depression.

It is hoped that the research will provide important steps towards tackling poor adherence, which is considered to be a critical barrier to treatment success and remains an important challenge to those in the medical profession.

“Coupled with other patient-centred approaches, practice based on these hypotheses could yield extra value in treatment regimens that patients agree to, believe in, and will sustain over time,” Dr Chewning explained.

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