Factors associated with polypharmacy in primary care : a cross-sectional analysis of data from The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

OBJECTIVES: While older age and ill health are known to be associated with polypharmacy, this paper aims to identify whether wealth, body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol consumption are also associated with polypharmacy (5-9 prescribed medications) and hyperpolypharmacy prevalence (≥10 prescribed medications), among older people living in England. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing Wave 6 (2012-2013). PARTICIPANTS: 7730 participants aged over 50 years. DATA SYNTHESIS: Two multivariate models were created. HR with corresponding 95% CI, for polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy, were calculated after adjusting for gender, age, wealth, smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI, self-rated health and the presence of a chronic health condition. RESULTS: Lower wealth (lowest wealth quintile vs highest wealth quintile, adjusted HR 1.28; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.69, P=0.02) and obesity (adjusted HR 1.81; 95% CI 1.53 to 2.15, p5 times per week) was inversely associated with polypharmacy (never drank alcohol vs very frequently, adjusted HR 0.64; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.78, p<0.01). The adjusted HR for hyperpolypharmacy was accentuated, compared with polypharmacy. CONCLUSION: This study has identified that lower wealth, obesity, increasing age and chronic health conditions are significantly associated with polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy prevalence. The effect of these factors, on polypharmacy and especially hyperpolypharmacy prevalence, is likely to become more pronounced with the widening gap in UK wealth inequalities, the current obesity epidemic and the growing population of older people. The alcohol findings contribute to the debate on the relationship between alcohol consumption and health

Potentially inappropriate medication use in institutionalized older adults according to the Beers Criteria

The need for specific care, coupled with new family arrangements, has contributed to the increasing institutionalization of elderly members. The purpose of this study was to evaluate drug use by institutionalized older adults according to Beers Criteria. This prospective, longitudinal study was conducted in the three non-profit long-stay geriatric care institutions of Campo Grande, in the Central-West region of Brazil. All subjects aged 60 years and above on November 2011 were included and followed until November 2012. Eighteen subjects were excluded and the final sample consisted of 133 individuals aged 60 to 113 years. Overall, 212 medications were used at geriatric care institution A, 532 at B, and 1329 at C. Thirty-four drugs were inappropriately prescribed 89 times at geriatric care institution A (41.98%), 49 prescribed 177 times at B (33.27%), and 91 prescribed 461 times at C (34.68%). Statistical differences in the inappropriate drug use were found between genders (p=0.007). The most commonly used potentially inappropriate medication were first-generation antihistamines (15.34%). There was a high frequency in the use of potentially inappropriate medications which can initiate marked side effects and may compromise the fragile health of institutionalized elderly. Thus, adopting the Beers Criteria in prescribing medication contributes to minimize adverse reactions and drug interactions