One in three British seniors has problems with understanding the leaflets attached to the drugs, which makes them at increased risk of death, according to scientists from University College London, whose research was published in the British Medical Journal.
Poor reading ability is associated with a number of health risks, including little knowledge about chronic diseases, worse general physical and mental health, limited use of preventive measures or more frequent hospitalizations – emphasize the authors.
Most of the research done so far on this subject comes from the United States. Scientists from Great Britain have now decided to look at the problem.
They analyzed data on over 7,8 thousand people over 52 who participated in the extensive ELSA (English Longitudinal Study of Aging) study in 2004-2005. During the tests, the ability to understand the written instructions for taking aspirin was tested. Then, until October 2009, data on mortality were collected.
Every third respondent found it difficult to fully understand the text on the leaflet. Those who scored the lowest on the test were more than twice as likely to die within five years compared to those who scored the most.
As the researchers note, the relationship persisted regardless of factors such as age, cognitive function, and medical history.