Body Mass Index Category and the Association Between Polypharmacy and Functional Recovery in Stroke…

Cohort studyDrugs & aging· Aug 2026

Body Mass Index Category and the Association Between Polypharmacy and Functional Recovery in Stroke Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Ayaka Matsumoto, Yoshihiro Yoshimura, Fumihiko Nagano … Aomi Kuzuhara

GeriatricsCohort studyPrognosisQ1IF 4.5

Polypharmacy linked to lower motor recovery scores only in underweight stroke patients

Body Mass Index Category and the Association Between Polypharmacy and Functional Recovery in Stroke Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Ayaka Matsumoto … Aomi Kuzuhara

Drugs & aging · Aug 2026

Background

Polypharmacy is a known risk factor for adverse outcomes during stroke rehabilitation; however, evidence is limited on whether nutritional status modifies this association.

Purpose

This study investigated whether the association between polypharmacy and functional recovery in patients after stroke differed according to body mass index (BMI), an anthropometric indicator related to nutritional status.

Methods

With cerebral infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage, or subarachnoid hemorrhage were eligible.

n = 1245 patients

Results

polypharmacy meant lower motor recovery scores in underweight patients

B -4.40 (95% CI -8.69 to -0.10)

CI excludes the null - significant

More results

Among 1245 patients (median age, 75 years; 54.3% men), a significant negative interaction between polypharmacy and underweight status was observed for the functional independence measure-motor score at discharge (B = - 4.396, 95% CI - 8.693 to - 0.100).

More results

No significant association between polypharmacy and functional recovery was found in the normal-weight or obese groups.

Polypharmacy was not associated with functional independence measure-cognitive scores or home discharge rates in any BMI category.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Polypharmacy was associated with modestly poorer activities of daily living at discharge primarily among underweight patients after stroke.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

These findings suggest that BMI category may help identify patients who could benefit from closer medication assessment, although the clinical magnitude of the association was limited.

Body Mass Index Category and the Association Between Polypharmacy and Functional Recovery in Stroke Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Body Mass Index Category and the Association Between Polypharmacy and Functional Recovery in Stroke Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

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