Treatment regimen based on clinical practice guidelines for a hypothetical 79-year-old woman with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and COPD

ADA: American Diabetes Association; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DASH: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
* Taken orally unless otherwise indicated. The medication complexity score of the regimen for this hypothetical woman is 14, with 19 doses of medications per day, assuming 2 as needed doses of albuterol metered dose inhaler plus 70 mg/wk of alendronate.
¶ DASH and ADA dietary guidelines may be synthesized, but the help of a registered dietitian is specifically recommended. Eat foods containing carbohydrate from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk. Avoid protein intake of more than 20% of total daily energy; lower protein intake to about 10% of daily calories if overt nephropathy is present. Limit intake of saturated fat (<10% of total daily energy) and dietary cholesterol (<200 to 300 mg). Limit intake of transunsaturated fatty acids. Eat two to three servings of fish per week. Intake of polyunsaturated fat should be about 10% of total daily energy.