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Lundby C, Farrell B, Wilson A. Anticholinergic deprescribing: A case report demonstrating improved cognition and function with minimal adverse withdrawal effects. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2024; 90:1741-1744. [PMID: 38697619 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.16078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Anticholinergic-induced cognitive impairment may be partially reversible upon cessation. A barrier to deprescribing of anticholinergics is the unknown risk of anticholinergic adverse drug withdrawal events (ADWE), with only limited information available on the incidence, timing and severity of anticholinergic ADWE. We report the case of a 76-year-old woman who experienced significant cognitive improvement following deprescribing long-term use of a strong anticholinergic drug, doxepin, and dose reduction of another possible anticholinergic agent. The patient decided to abruptly stop taking doxepin, despite a planned careful taper with twice weekly monitoring, but did not experience any severe anticholinergic ADWE and subsequently had significantly improved cognitive function. Future research should focus on better understanding the risk of anticholinergic ADWE so that anticholinergic deprescribing decisions, including how often and by how much to taper, can be made confidently and safely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Lundby
- Geriatric Day Hospital, Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, Canada
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
- Hospital Pharmacy Funen, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark
- Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Barbara Farrell
- Geriatric Day Hospital, Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Amanda Wilson
- Geriatric Day Hospital, Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
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Holdaway M, Hyde Z, Hughson JA, Malay R, Stafford A, Fulford K, Radford K, Flicker L, Smith K, Pond D, Russell S, Atkinson D, Blackberry I, LoGiudice D. Medications and cognitive risk in Aboriginal primary care: a cross-sectional study. Intern Med J 2024; 54:897-908. [PMID: 38158855 DOI: 10.1111/imj.16323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are ageing with high rates of comorbidity, yet little is known about suboptimal prescribing in this population. AIM The prevalence of potentially suboptimal prescribing and associated risk factors were investigated among older patients attending primary care through Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs). METHODS Medical records of 420 systematically selected patients aged ≥50 years attending urban, rural and remote health services were audited. Polypharmacy (≥ 5 prescribed medications), potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) as per Beers Criteria and anticholinergic burden (ACB) were estimated and associated risk factors were explored with logistic regression. RESULTS The prevalence of polypharmacy, PIMs and ACB score ≥3 was 43%, 18% and 12% respectively. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, polypharmacy was less likely in rural (odds ratio (OR) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.24-0.77) compared to urban patients, and more likely in those with heart disease (OR = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.62-4.25), atrial fibrillation (OR = 4.25, 95% CI = 1.08-16.81), hypertension (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.34-3.44), diabetes (OR = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.69-4.39) or depression (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.19-3.06). PIMs were more frequent in females (OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.03-3.42) and less frequent in rural (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.19-0.85) and remote (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.29-1.18) patients. Factors associated with PIMs were kidney disease (OR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.37-4.92), urinary incontinence (OR = 3.00, 95% CI = 1.02-8.83), depression (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.50-4.77), heavy alcohol use (OR = 2.83, 95% CI = 1.39-5.75) and subjective cognitive concerns (OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.31-5.52). High ACB was less common in rural (OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.03-0.34) and remote (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.25-1.04) patients and more common in those with kidney disease (OR = 3.07, 95% CI = 1.50-6.30) or depression (OR = 3.32, 95% CI = 1.70-6.47). CONCLUSION Associations between potentially suboptimal prescribing and depression or cognitive concerns highlight the importance of considering medication review and deprescribing for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marycarol Holdaway
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Zoë Hyde
- Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jo-Anne Hughson
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Roslyn Malay
- Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew Stafford
- Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kate Fulford
- Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kylie Radford
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Leon Flicker
- Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kate Smith
- Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Dimity Pond
- Department of General Practice, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sarah Russell
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - David Atkinson
- Rural Clinical School, University of Western Australia, Broome, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Irene Blackberry
- La Trobe University, John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dina LoGiudice
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Basin MF, Chadha P, Useva A, Ginzburg N, Ferry E. Investigation of intradetrusor onabotulinum toxin A efficacy and safety in older adults with urge urinary incontinence. Int Urol Nephrol 2024; 56:1559-1563. [PMID: 38071727 DOI: 10.1007/s11255-023-03891-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Intradetrusor onabotulinum toxin A (BTX-A) has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment option for overactive bladder (OAB). However, concerns about frailty and frequent injections may deter its use in the elderly. This study aims to assess the safety, efficacy, and treatment duration of BTX-A in managing OAB in elderly women. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed female patients aged 70 and above who were diagnosed with OAB with predominant urge urinary incontinence and underwent intravesical BTX-A treatment. We collected demographic and clinical data, with repeat BTX-A injections re-administered upon patient-reported symptom recurrence. RESULTS Twenty-one female patients, median age 77 (range 71-92), were included. The median time between the first and second injection was 185 (84-448) days, 186 (105-959) days between the second and third injection, and increased to 206.5 (84-256) days between the third and fourth injection. However, the median interval trended downward after the fourth injection (Fig. 1). Patients with four or more injections had a shorter median interval between injections, 154 days, compared to those with fewer injections, 210 days. Two patients (6.9%) experienced urinary retention after the initial treatment, with 1 (2.2%) among a total of 46 subsequent treatments (Table 3). There were ten (13.3%) episodes of UTIs within 2 weeks of treatment. Patients reported improvement in symptoms following 93.3% of the injections. CONCLUSION This real-world study demonstrates that BTX-A effectively controls OAB symptoms in elderly women, with just two injections annually. BTX-A appears safe and efficacious for treating OAB in elderly females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Basin
- Department of Urology, SUNY Upstate University Hospital, Syracuse, NY, USA.
| | - Priyal Chadha
- Department of Urology, SUNY Upstate University Hospital, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Anastasija Useva
- Department of Urology, SUNY Upstate University Hospital, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Natasha Ginzburg
- Department of Urology, SUNY Upstate University Hospital, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ferry
- Department of Urology, SUNY Upstate University Hospital, Syracuse, NY, USA
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Perdixi E, Cotta Ramusino M, Costa A, Bernini S, Conti S, Jesuthasan N, Severgnini M, Prinelli F. Polypharmacy, drug-drug interactions, anticholinergic burden and cognitive outcomes: a snapshot from a community-dwelling sample of older men and women in northern Italy. Eur J Ageing 2024; 21:11. [PMID: 38551689 PMCID: PMC10980670 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-024-00806-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Polypharmacy (PP) use is very common in older people and may lead to drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and anticholinergic burden (ACB) that may affect cognitive function. We aimed to determine the occurrence of PP, potential DDIs and ACB and their role in cognitive outcomes in an older population. Cross-sectional data from 636 community-dwelling adults (73.2 ± 6.0 SD, 58.6% women) participating in the NutBrain study (2019-2023) were analyzed. Participants were asked about their medication use, and data on potential DDIs and ACB were extracted. The associations of PP (≥ 5 drugs/day), potential DDIs, and ACB with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and specific cognitive domains were assessed using logistic regression adjusted for confounders. Sex-stratified analysis was performed. Overall, 27.2% of the participants were exposed to PP, 42.3% to potential DDIs and 19% to cumulative ACB. Women were less exposed to PP and more exposed to ACB than men. In multivariate analysis, the odds of having MCI (24%) were three times higher in those with severe ACB (≥ 3) (OR 3.34, 95%CI 1.35-8.25). ACB was positively associated with poor executive function (OR 4.45, 95%CI 1.72-11.49) and specifically with the Frontal Assessment Battery and neuropsychological tests of phonological and semantic fluency. In sex-stratified analysis, ACB was statistically significantly associated with MCI and executive function in women and with memory in men. PP, potential DDIs and anticholinergics use are very common in community-dwelling older people. ACB exposure is associated with MCI, particularly with poor executive function. Clinicians are encouraged to be vigilant when prescribing anticholinergics.Trial registration: Trial registration number NCT04461951, date of registration July 7, 2020 (retrospectively registered, ClinicalTrials.gov).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Perdixi
- Department of Neurology, IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Via Alessandro Manzoni, 56, 20089, Rozzano, MI, Italy
- Neuropsychology Lab/Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Matteo Cotta Ramusino
- Clinical Neuroscience Unit of Dementia, Dementia Research Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Unit of Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alfredo Costa
- Clinical Neuroscience Unit of Dementia, Dementia Research Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Unit of Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sara Bernini
- Neuropsychology Lab/Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Clinical Neuroscience Unit of Dementia, Dementia Research Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Silvia Conti
- Neuropsychology Lab/Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies - National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20054, Segrate, MI, Italy
| | - Nithiya Jesuthasan
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies - National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20054, Segrate, MI, Italy
| | - Marco Severgnini
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies - National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20054, Segrate, MI, Italy
| | - Federica Prinelli
- Neuropsychology Lab/Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies - National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20054, Segrate, MI, Italy.
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Tarasconi M, Oliva FM, Ambrosino N, Sotgiu G, Saderi L, Zampogna E, Mentasti O, Spanevello A, Visca D. Pulmonary rehabilitation and risk of fall in elderly with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Panminerva Med 2024; 66:10-17. [PMID: 37712861 DOI: 10.23736/s0031-0808.23.04892-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few data are available on the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on risk of fall in over 80 individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We investigated the effectiveness of PR on the risk of fall in older as compared to younger than 80 individuals. METHODS Parallel-group retrospective exploratory study of individuals undergone in-hospital PR. The risk of fall was defined as a gait speed ≤0.8 m/s (primary outcome). Outcome measures (exercise capacity, physical performance, symptoms, and health status) were also assessed. RESULTS As compared to younger, individuals over 80 suffered from more severe symptoms, a reduction in physical performance and in exercise capacity and greater risk of fall (P=0.0001). The proportion of participants at risk of fall increased with age, and after PR decreased significantly without any significant difference between age groups. However, 53.4% of older individuals were still at risk of fall, as compared to 17.5% of those under 80 (P=0.0001). After PR, both populations had improved outcomes measures, without any significant between group differences. CONCLUSIONS In individuals with COPD pulmonary rehabilitation reduced the risk of fall, while improving outcome measures independent of age, however, more than 50% of those over 80 were still at risk of fall. The pulmonary rehabilitation programs for individuals over 80 should include strategies effective in reducing the risk of fall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Tarasconi
- Division of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Tradate, Varese, Italy
| | - Federico M Oliva
- Division of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Tradate, Varese, Italy
| | - Nicolino Ambrosino
- Division of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Montescano, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sotgiu
- Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Laura Saderi
- Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Zampogna
- Division of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Tradate, Varese, Italy -
| | - Ombretta Mentasti
- Division of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Tradate, Varese, Italy
| | - Antonio Spanevello
- Division of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Tradate, Varese, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Dina Visca
- Division of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Tradate, Varese, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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Smith H, Fligelstone H. Reducing patient and planetary harms from high anticholinergic burden medication. BMJ 2024; 384:e075708. [PMID: 38224974 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-075708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Honey Smith
- Richmond Medical Centre, Sheffield, UK
- South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
- Greener Practice Community Interest Company, Sheffield
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7
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Katipoglu B, Kurtbeyoglu S, Demir ZA, Mavioglu HL. The effect of the anticholinergic burden on mortality following elective cardiac surgery. Curr Med Res Opin 2024; 40:27-34. [PMID: 37999982 DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2023.2288278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The cumulative effect of drugs with anticholinergic properties may pose a significant risk in the post-discharge period of patients who have undergone elective cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between anticholinergic burden and 6-month postdischarge mortality in older cardiac surgery patients. METHODS This study performed a retrospective longitudinal analysis of patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery at a tertiary care centre from January 2021 to January 2022. The Deyo-Charlson comorbidity index (D-CCI) was used to estimate the burden of comorbidities. The anticholinergic burden was assessed using the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden scale (ACB) and Drug Burden Index (DBI) scale. All-cause postdischarge mortality was determined from electronic medical records. RESULTS A total of 255 older adults who had undergone elective cardiac surgery and had been followed up for at least 6 months were included in this study. Approximately 12.5% (n = 32) of older patients died within 6 months of discharge. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, ACB (HR:1.31, 95%CI:1.10-1.56 p = 0.01) and DBI (HR:2.08, 95%CI:1.27-3.39 p = 0.01) showed significantly increased risk of 6-month postdischarge mortality after adjusting for several possible confounders (age, gender, D-CCl, and American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score). Overall event-free survival differed significantly between patients undergoing cardiac surgery based on anticholinergic burden according to the group-stratified ACB and DBI scales (χ2: 5.907, log-rank test, p = 0.015 and χ2: 15.389, log-rank test, p < 0.001 respectively). CONCLUSION The anticholinergic burden is associated with 6-month all-cause post-discharge mortality in older cardiac surgery patients. A deprescribing approach should be considered, especially for older adults in the perioperative period. TRIAL REGISTRATION The trial was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier: NCT05312684 Registered on 5 April 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Katipoglu
- Balikesir Atatürk City Hospital, Division of Geriatrics, Balikesir, Turkiye
| | - Seda Kurtbeyoglu
- Anesthesiology and Reanimation Department, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkiye
| | - Zeliha Asli Demir
- Anesthesiology and Reanimation Department, Ankara City Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkiye
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Cheong VL, Mehdizadeh D, Todd OM, Gardner P, Zaman H, Clegg A, Alldred DP, Faisal M. The extent of anticholinergic burden across an older Welsh population living with frailty: cross-sectional analysis of general practice records. Age Ageing 2023; 52:afad136. [PMID: 37505992 PMCID: PMC10378723 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afad136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anticholinergic medicines are associated with adverse outcomes for older people. However, little is known about their use in frailty. The objectives were to (i) investigate the prevalence of anticholinergic prescribing for older patients, and (ii) examine anticholinergic burden according to frailty status. METHODS Cross-sectional analysis of Welsh primary care data from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage databank including patients aged ≥65 at their first GP consultation between 1 January and 31 December 2018. Frailty was identified using the electronic Frailty Index and anticholinergic burden using the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) scale. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were conducted to (i) describe the type and frequency of anticholinergics prescribed; and (ii) to estimate the association between frailty and cumulative ACB score (ACB-Sum). RESULTS In this study of 529,095 patients, 47.4% of patients receiving any prescription medications were prescribed at least one anticholinergic medicine. Adjusted regression analysis showed that patients with increasing frailty had higher odds of having an ACB-Sum of >3 compared with patients who were fit (mild frailty, adj OR 1.062 (95%CI 1.061-1.064), moderate frailty, adj OR 1.134 (95%CI 1.131-1.136), severe frailty, adj OR 1.208 (95%CI 1.203-1.213)). CONCLUSIONS Anticholinergic prescribing was high in this older population. Older people with advancing frailty are exposed to the highest anticholinergic burden despite being the most vulnerable to the associated adverse effects. Older people with advancing frailty should be considered for medicines review to prevent overaccumulation of anticholinergic medications, given the risks of functional and cognitive decline that frailty presents.
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Affiliation(s)
- V-Lin Cheong
- Medicines Management & Pharmacy Services, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
- School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - David Mehdizadeh
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
- NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, Bradford, UK
| | - Oliver M Todd
- Academic Unit for Ageing and Stroke Research (University of Leeds), Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK
| | - Peter Gardner
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
- NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, Bradford, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research, Bradford, UK
| | - Hadar Zaman
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
- NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, Bradford, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research, Bradford, UK
| | - Andrew Clegg
- NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, Bradford, UK
- Academic Unit for Ageing and Stroke Research (University of Leeds), Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research, Bradford, UK
| | - David P Alldred
- School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, Bradford, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research, Bradford, UK
| | - Muhammad Faisal
- NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, Bradford, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research, Bradford, UK
- Faculty of Health Studies, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
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Mohamed-Ahmed R, Taithongchai A, da Silva AS, Robinson D, Cardozo L. Treating and Managing Urinary Incontinence: Evolving and Potential Multicomponent Medical and Lifestyle Interventions. Res Rep Urol 2023; 15:193-203. [PMID: 37351339 PMCID: PMC10284157 DOI: 10.2147/rru.s387205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Incontinence is defined by either ICS 2002 or IUGA/ICS 2010 as the involuntary loss of urine and includes urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). It has a high worldwide prevalence with an associated impact on quality of life. Despite existing management options for the management of urinary incontinence, patients continue to be troubled by symptoms or side effects of existing treatment. There is therefore a requirement for ongoing research into treatment options for the management of UUI and SUI, that are more effective and tolerable to patients. Advances in treatment of UUI include a more selective beta 3 agonist, Vibegron, which has less impact on cardiac function than Mirabegron. Hormonal treatment, including Ospemifene and Prasterone, may improve GSM and in turn symptoms of UUI. There are advances in the types of neuromodulators available, including those that are rechargeable at home and are MRI safe. Laser has shown promising initial results. There is developing interest in the microbiome, and how this may impact future treatment modalities. Advances in treatment of SUI include the use of mobile health applications to support delivery of pelvic floor muscle training. Litoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, has shown promising results at phase III trials. Functional magnetic stimulation is being developed to improve contractility of pelvic floor muscles. We also discuss interventions that improve tissue elasticity and regeneration, such as platelet rich plasma, autologous stem cell transplantation, laser therapy and radiofrequency treatment, which show short term benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dudley Robinson
- Department of Urogynaecology, King’s College Hospital, London, UK
| | - Linda Cardozo
- Department of Urogynaecology, King’s College Hospital, London, UK
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10
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Masnoon N, Lo S, Hilmer S. A stewardship program to facilitate anticholinergic and sedative medication deprescribing using the drug burden index in electronic medical records. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2023; 89:687-698. [PMID: 36038522 PMCID: PMC10953400 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS The drug burden index (DBI) measures a person's total exposure to anticholinergic and sedative medications, which are commonly associated with harm. Through incorporating the DBI in electronic medical records (eMR) and implementing a DBI stewardship program, we aimed to determine (i) uptake of the steward's recommendations to deprescribe anticholinergic and/or sedative drugs by the medical team and (ii) whether accepted recommendations were actioned in hospital or recommended for follow-up by the General Practitioner post-discharge. METHODS A single-arm, non-randomised feasibility study was performed at an Australian tertiary referral metropolitan hospital. The stewardship pharmacist reviewed eMRs of patients aged ≥75 years with DBI scores > 0, during admission. The steward identified and discussed potential opportunities to deprescribe anticholinergic and/or sedative medications with the medical registrars. RESULTS Amongst 256 patients reviewed, the steward made 170 recommendations for 117 patients. Registrars agreed with 141 recommendations (82.9%) for 95 patients (81.2%), and actioned 115 deprescribing recommendations for 80 patients, most commonly for antidepressants and opioids. The 115 actioned recommendations resulted in 125 changes, with 44 changes to the inpatient drug chart and 81 additional changes recommended post-discharge in the discharge summary. CONCLUSION Opportunities exist for deprescribing anticholinergic and sedative medications in older inpatients and a DBI stewardship program may help implement these. It is important to capture different outcomes of deprescribing interventions, including in-hospital medication changes, recommendations in the Discharge Summary, sustainability of deprescribing and clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nashwa Masnoon
- Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and HealthUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Sarita Lo
- Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and HealthUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Sarah Hilmer
- Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and HealthUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged CareRoyal North Shore HospitalSydneyNSWAustralia
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Dinh TS, Meid AD, Rudolf H, Brueckle MS, González-González AI, Bencheva V, Gogolin M, Snell KIE, Elders PJM, Thuermann PA, Donner-Banzhoff N, Blom JW, van den Akker M, Gerlach FM, Harder S, Thiem U, Glasziou PP, Haefeli WE, Muth C. Anticholinergic burden measures, symptoms, and fall-associated risk in older adults with polypharmacy: Development and validation of a prognostic model. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280907. [PMID: 36689445 PMCID: PMC9870119 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anticholinergic burden has been associated with adverse outcomes such as falls. To date, no gold standard measure has been identified to assess anticholinergic burden, and no conclusion has been drawn on which of the different measure algorithms best predicts falls in older patients from general practice. This study compared the ability of five measures of anticholinergic burden to predict falls. To account for patients' individual susceptibility to medications, the added predictive value of typical anticholinergic symptoms was further quantified in this context. METHODS AND FINDINGS To predict falls, models were developed and validated based on logistic regression models created using data from two German cluster-randomized controlled trials. The outcome was defined as "≥ 1 fall" vs. "no fall" within a 6-month follow-up period. Data from the RIME study (n = 1,197) were used in model development, and from PRIMUM (n = 502) for external validation. The models were developed step-wise in order to quantify the predictive ability of anticholinergic burden measures, and anticholinergic symptoms. In the development set, 1,015 patients had complete data and 188 (18.5%) experienced ≥ 1 fall within the 6-month follow-up period. The overall predictive value of the five anticholinergic measures was limited, with neither the employed anticholinergic variable (binary / count / burden), nor dose-dependent or dose-independent measures differing significantly in their ability to predict falls. The highest c-statistic was obtained using the German Anticholinergic Burden Score (0.73), whereby the optimism-corrected c-statistic was 0.71 after interval validation using bootstrapping and 0.63 in the external validation. Previous falls and dizziness / vertigo had the strongest prognostic value in all models. CONCLUSIONS The ability of anticholinergic burden measures to predict falls does not appear to differ significantly, and the added value they contribute to risk classification in fall-prediction models is limited. Previous falls and dizziness / vertigo contributed most to model performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Sophia Dinh
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas D. Meid
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Henrik Rudolf
- Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Maria-Sophie Brueckle
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Veronika Bencheva
- HELIOS University Clinic Wuppertal, Philipp Klee-Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Witten / Herdecke, Witten, Germany
| | - Matthias Gogolin
- HELIOS University Clinic Wuppertal, Philipp Klee-Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Witten / Herdecke, Witten, Germany
| | - Kym I. E. Snell
- Centre for Prognosis Research, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Petra J. M. Elders
- Amsterdam UMC, General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Petra A. Thuermann
- HELIOS University Clinic Wuppertal, Philipp Klee-Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Witten / Herdecke, Witten, Germany
| | - Norbert Donner-Banzhoff
- Department of General Practice / Family Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jeanet W. Blom
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marjan van den Akker
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Family Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre of General Practice, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ferdinand M. Gerlach
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sebastian Harder
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ulrich Thiem
- Department of Geriatrics, Immanuel Albertinen Diakonie, Albertinen-Haus, Hamburg, Germany
- University Clinic Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Paul P. Glasziou
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia
| | - Walter E. Haefeli
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christiane Muth
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of General Practice and Family Medicine, Medical Faculty East-Westphalia, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
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Prado-Mel E, Ciudad-Gutiérrez P, Rodríguez-Ramallo H, Sánchez-Fidalgo S, Santos-Ramos B, Villalba-Moreno AM. Association between anticholinergic activity and xerostomia and/ or xerophthalmia in the elderly: systematic review. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2022; 23:94. [PMID: 36539885 PMCID: PMC9769019 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-022-00637-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this work was to investigate the association between anticholinergic burden or anticholinergic drug use and xerostomia and/or xerophtalmia in elderly through a systematic review of the published literature. METHODS A search was carried out in 3 databases (CINAHL, Embase and Pubmed). Studies conducted in people ≥65 years of age, who took anticholinergic medications, and measured the association between the anticholinergic burden or the use of these medications with the prevalence of xerostomia and / or xerophthalmia, published up to August 2022, were selected. Studies published in languages other than Spanish and/or English were excluded. RESULTS One thousand two hundred eleven articles were identified, 10 were selected for this review: six cross-sectional studies, two cohorts, one case-control and one randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 3535 patients included in the different studies were studied. The most used scales were the Anticholinergic Drug Scale (ADS) and the Anticholinergic Risk Scale (ARS). Four articles studied the relationship between the use of anticholinergic medication and the prevalence of xerostomia and / or xerophthalmia, finding a positive relationship with xerostomia in all of them. Another 6 measured the relationship between anticholinergic burden and xerostomia and / or xerophthalmia. Four found a positive relationship between anticholinergic burden and xerostomia and/or xerophthalmia. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest a clear relationship between the use of anticholinergic drugs or anticholinergic burden and the presence of xerostomia. This relationship was less conclusive in the case of xerophthalmia.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Prado-Mel
- grid.411109.c0000 0000 9542 1158Hospital Universitario Vírgen del Rocío(Pharmacy department), Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - P. Ciudad-Gutiérrez
- grid.411109.c0000 0000 9542 1158Hospital Universitario Vírgen del Rocío(Pharmacy department), Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - H. Rodríguez-Ramallo
- grid.411109.c0000 0000 9542 1158Hospital Universitario Vírgen del Rocío(Pharmacy department), Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - S. Sánchez-Fidalgo
- grid.9224.d0000 0001 2168 1229University of Seville(Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health), Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - B. Santos-Ramos
- grid.411109.c0000 0000 9542 1158Hospital Universitario Vírgen del Rocío(Pharmacy department), Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - A. M. Villalba-Moreno
- grid.411109.c0000 0000 9542 1158Hospital Universitario Vírgen del Rocío(Pharmacy department), Andalucía, Seville, Spain
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Secchi A, Mamayusupova H, Sami S, Maidment I, Coulton S, Myint PK, Fox C. A novel Artificial Intelligence-based tool to assess anticholinergic burden: a survey. Age Ageing 2022; 51:6677534. [PMID: 36029230 PMCID: PMC9419503 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afac196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND many medications possess anticholinergic activity. Their use is associated with a number of serious adverse effects including cognitive effects. The cumulative anticholinergic effect of medications as assessed by tools such as the anticholinergic burden scale (AchB) can identify people particularly at risk of anticholinergic side-effects. Currently, >20 tools are available for clinicians to use, but there is no consensus on the most appropriate tool. METHODS a newly created online tool-International Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Tool (IACT)-based on natural language processing and chemical structure analysis, was developed and made available for clinicians to test its functions. We carried out a survey (between 8th of February and 31st of March 2021) to assess the overall need for an assessment tool as well as the usability of the IACT. RESULTS a total of 110 responses were received from different countries and practitioners' groups. The majority of the participants (86.11%) stated they would use a tool for AchB assessment if available and when they were asked to rate the IACT against other tools, amongst 34 responders, 20.59% rated it better and 8.82% rated it significantly better, 44.12% rated it neither better, nor worse, 14.71% rated it worse and 11.76% somewhat worse. CONCLUSION there is a need for an anticholinergic burden calculator to assess the anticholinergicity of medications. Tools such as the IACT potentially could meet this demand due to its ability to assign scores to current and new medications appearing on the market based both on their chemical structure and reported adverse pharmacological effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Saber Sami
- University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Ian Maidment
- Aston University, Aston St, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
| | - Simon Coulton
- University of Kent, Giles Ln, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Phyo Kyaw Myint
- Ageing Clinical & Experimental Research Team, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Chris Fox
- Address correspondence: Chris Fox, University of Exeter, College of Medicine and Health St Luke’s Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK.
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Lee GB, Etherton-Beer C, Hosking SM, Pasco JA, Page AT. The patterns and implications of potentially suboptimal medicine regimens among older adults: a narrative review. Ther Adv Drug Saf 2022; 13:20420986221100117. [PMID: 35814333 PMCID: PMC9260603 DOI: 10.1177/20420986221100117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the context of an ageing population, the burden of disease and medicine use is
also expected to increase. As such, medicine safety and preventing avoidable
medicine-related harm are major public health concerns, requiring further
research. Potentially suboptimal medicine regimens is an umbrella term that
captures a range of indicators that may increase the risk of medicine-related
harm, including polypharmacy, underprescribing and high-risk prescribing, such
as prescribing potentially inappropriate medicines. This narrative review aims
to provide a background and broad overview of the patterns and implications of
potentially suboptimal medicine regimens among older adults. Original research
published between 1990 and 2021 was searched for in MEDLINE, using key search
terms including polypharmacy, inappropriate prescribing, potentially
inappropriate medication lists, medication errors, drug interactions and drug
prescriptions, along with manual checking of reference lists. The review
summarizes the prevalence, risk factors and clinical outcomes of polypharmacy,
underprescribing and potentially inappropriate medicines. A synthesis of the
evidence regarding the longitudinal patterns of polypharmacy is also provided.
With an overview of the existing literature, we highlight a number of key gaps
in the literature. Directions for future research may include a longitudinal
investigation into the risk factors and outcomes of extended polypharmacy,
research focusing on the patterns and implications of underprescribing and
studies that evaluate the applicability of tools measuring potentially
inappropriate medicines to study settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgie B Lee
- Epi-Centre for Healthy Ageing, Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine, Deakin University, HERB-Building Level 3, C/- University Hospital Geelong, 285 Ryrie Street, P.O. Box 281, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | | | - Sarah M Hosking
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Julie A Pasco
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Amy T Page
- WA Centre for Health and Ageing, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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15
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Stewart C, Gallacher K, Nakham A, Cruickshank M, Newlands R, Bond C, Myint PK, Bhattacharya D, Mair FS. Barriers and facilitators to reducing anticholinergic burden: a qualitative systematic review. Int J Clin Pharm 2021; 43:1451-1460. [PMID: 34173123 PMCID: PMC8642323 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-021-01293-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Background Despite common use, anticholinergic medications have been associated with serious health risks. Interventions to reduce their use are being developed and there is a need to understand their implementation into clinical care. Aim of review This systematic review aims to identify and analyse qualitative research studies exploring the barriers and facilitators to reducing anticholinergic burden. Methods Medline (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), CINAHL (EMBSCO) and PsycINFO (OVID) were searched using comprehensive search terms. Peer reviewed studies published in English presenting qualitative research in relation to the barriers and facilitators of deprescribing anticholinergic medications, involving patients, carers or health professionals were eligible. Normalization Process Theory was used to explore and explain the data. Results Of 1764 identified studies, two were eligible and both involved healthcare professionals (23 general practitioners, 13 specialist clinicians and 12 pharmacists). No studies were identified that involved patients or carers. Barriers to collaborative working often resulted in poor motivation to reduce anticholinergic use. Low confidence, system resources and organisation of care also hindered anticholinergic burden reduction. Good communication and relationships with patients, carers and other healthcare professionals were reported as important for successful anticholinergic burden reduction. Having a named person for prescribing decisions, and clear role boundaries, were also important facilitators. Conclusions This review identified important barriers and facilitators to anticholinergic burden reduction from healthcare provider perspectives which can inform implementation of such deprescribing interventions. Studies exploring patient and carer perspectives are presently absent but are required to ensure person-centeredness and feasibility of future interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Stewart
- Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Team, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 1:128, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill Health Campus, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.
| | - Katie Gallacher
- General Practice and Primary Care, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Athagran Nakham
- Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Team, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 1:128, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill Health Campus, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Moira Cruickshank
- Health Services Research Unit, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Rumana Newlands
- Health Services Research Unit, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Christine Bond
- Primary Care, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Phyo Kyaw Myint
- Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Team, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 1:128, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill Health Campus, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | | | - Frances S Mair
- General Practice and Primary Care, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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16
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Vatcharavongvan P, Puttawanchai V. Elderly Patients in Primary Care are Still at Risks of Receiving Potentially Inappropriate Medications. J Prim Care Community Health 2021; 12:21501327211035088. [PMID: 34315288 PMCID: PMC8323440 DOI: 10.1177/21501327211035088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Most older adults with comorbidities in primary care clinics use multiple
medications and are at risk of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs)
prescription. Objective This study examined the prevalence of polypharmacy and PIMs using Thai
criteria for PIMs. Methods This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Data were collected
from electronic medical records in a primary care clinic in 2018. Samples
were patients aged ≥65 years old with at least 1 prescription. Variables
included age, gender, comorbidities, and medications. The list of risk drugs
for Thai elderly version 2 was the criteria for PIMs. The prevalence of
polypharmacy and PIMs were calculated, and multiple logistic regression was
conducted to examine associations between variables and PIMs. Results Of 2806 patients, 27.5% and 43.7% used ≥5 medications and PIMs, respectively.
Of 10 290 prescriptions, 47% had at least 1 PIM. The top 3 PIMs were
anticholinergics, proton-pump inhibitors, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs). Polypharmacy and dyspepsia were associated with PIM
prescriptions (adjusted odds ratio 2.48 [95% confident interval or 95% CI
2.07-2.96] and 3.88 [95% CI 2.65-5.68], respectively). Conclusion Prescriptions with PIMs were high in the primary care clinic. Describing
unnecessary medications is crucial to prevent negative health outcomes from
PIMs. Computer-based clinical decision support, pharmacy-led interventions,
and patient-specific drug recommendations are promising interventions to
reduce PIMs in a primary care setting.
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Hindmarsh J, Hindmarsh S, Lee M. Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease at the End of Life: A Retrospective Evaluation of Symptom Prevalence, Pharmacological Symptom Management and Transdermal Rotigotine Dosing. Clin Drug Investig 2021; 41:675-683. [PMID: 34213758 DOI: 10.1007/s40261-021-01054-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Distressing symptoms are prevalent in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, yet little is known about symptom burden and subsequent pharmacological management at the end of life. Additionally, when oral administration of antiparkinsonian medications is no longer possible in dying patients, it is becoming common place to initiate transdermal rotigotine, despite a paucity of evidence to guide dosing. OBJECTIVES To assess: (1) symptom prevalence from the use of anticipatory medicines in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, (2) the prescribing of antiparkinsonian medication at the end of life; and (3) the accuracy of conversion from oral antiparkinsonian medicines to transdermal rotigotine and any associations between rotigotine dosing and end-of-life symptoms. METHODS A retrospective case review was performed. One hundred consecutive patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who died during an inpatient admission at a UK teaching hospital were assessed. RESULTS The most prevalent terminal symptoms were excess respiratory secretions (58%), pain (52%), agitation (51%) and fever (23%). The majority of patients were converted to transdermal rotigotine (90%). Patients converted to a higher than equivalent dose of rotigotine were more likely to be agitated (p < 0.05), whilst those converted to a lower than equivalent dose were less likely to develop excess respiratory secretions (p < 0.05). The prevalence of pain did not differ according to rotigotine dosing. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights for the first time use of anticipatory medications at the end of life in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and the prevalence of terminal symptoms. It also demonstrates the widespread use of rotigotine patches, and that lower than equivalent doses may be better tolerated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Hindmarsh
- Specialist Centre for Palliative Care, St. Benedict's Hospice, Sunderland, UK.
- Department of Pharmacy, Sunderland Royal Hospital, South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust, Kayll Road, Sunderland, SR4 7TP, UK.
| | - Sharlene Hindmarsh
- Department of Pharmacy, Sunderland Royal Hospital, South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust, Kayll Road, Sunderland, SR4 7TP, UK
| | - Mark Lee
- Specialist Centre for Palliative Care, St. Benedict's Hospice, Sunderland, UK
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Stewart C, Taylor-Rowan M, Soiza RL, Quinn TJ, Loke YK, Myint PK. Anticholinergic burden measures and older people's falls risk: a systematic prognostic review. Ther Adv Drug Saf 2021; 12:20420986211016645. [PMID: 34104401 PMCID: PMC8170331 DOI: 10.1177/20420986211016645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Several adverse outcomes have been associated with anticholinergic burden (ACB), and these risks increase with age. Several approaches to measuring this burden are available but, to date, no comparison of their prognostic abilities has been conducted. This PROSPERO-registered systematic review (CRD42019115918) compared the evidence behind ACB measures in relation to their ability to predict risk of falling in older people. Methods Medline (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), CINAHL (EMBSCO) and PsycINFO (OVID) were searched using comprehensive search terms and a validated search filter for prognostic studies. Inclusion criteria included: participants aged 65 years and older, use of one or more ACB measure(s) as a prognostic factor, cohort or case-control in design, and reporting falls as an outcome. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Results Eight studies reporting temporal associations between ACB and falls were included. All studies were rated high risk of bias in ⩾1 QUIPS tool categories, with five rated high risk ⩾3 categories. All studies (274,647 participants) showed some degree of association between anticholinergic score and increased risk of falls. Findings were most significant with moderate to high levels of ACB. Most studies (6/8) utilised the anticholinergic cognitive burden scale. No studies directly compared two or more ACB measures and there was variation in how falls were measured for analysis. Conclusion The evidence supports an association between moderate to high ACB and risk of falling in older people, but no conclusion can be made regarding which ACB scale offers best prognostic value in older people. Plain language summary A review of published studies to explore which anticholinergic burden scale is best at predicting the risk of falls in older people Introduction: One third of older people will experience a fall. Falls have many consequences including fractures, a loss of independence and being unable to enjoy life. Many things can increase the chances of having a fall. This includes some medications. One type of medication, known as anticholinergic medication, may increase the risk of falls. These medications are used to treat common health issues including depression and bladder problems. Anticholinergic burden is the term used to describe the total effects from taking these medications. Some people may use more than one of these medications. This would increase their anticholinergic burden. It is possible that reducing the use of these medications could reduce the risk of falls. We need to carry out studies to see if this is possible. To do this, we need to be able to measure anticholinergic burden. There are several scales available, but we do not know which is best.Methods: We wanted to answer: 'Which anticholinergic scale is best at predicting the risk of falling in older people?'. We reviewed studies that could answer this. We did this in a systematic way to capture all published studies. We restricted the search in several ways. We only included studies relevant to our question.Results: We found eight studies. We learned that people who are moderate to high users of these medications (often people who will use more than one of these medications) had a higher risk of falling. It was less clear if people who have a lower burden (often people who only use one of these medications) had an increased risk of falling. The low number of studies prevented us from determining if one scale was better than another.Conclusion: These findings suggest that we should reduce use of these medications. This could reduce the number falls and improve the well-being of older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Stewart
- Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Rm 1.128, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill Health Campus, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Martin Taylor-Rowan
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Roy L Soiza
- Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK
| | - Terence J Quinn
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Yoon K Loke
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Phyo Kyaw Myint
- Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK
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Rawle MJ, McCue L, Sampson EL, Davis D, Vickerstaff V. Anticholinergic Burden Does Not Influence Delirium Subtype or the Delirium-Mortality Association in Hospitalized Older Adults: Results from a Prospective Cohort Study. Drugs Aging 2021; 38:233-242. [PMID: 33415708 PMCID: PMC7914229 DOI: 10.1007/s40266-020-00827-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anticholinergic burden (ACB) is associated with an increased risk of delirium in the older population outside of the acute hospital setting. In acute settings, delirium is associated with increased mortality, and this association is greater with full syndromal delirium (FSD) than with subsyndromal delirium (SSD). Little is known about the impact of ACB on delirium prevalence or subtype in hospitalized older adults or the impact on mortality in this population. OBJECTIVES Our objectives were to determine whether ACB moderates associations between the subtype of delirium experienced by hospitalized older adults and to explore factors (including ACB) that might moderate consequent associations between delirium and mortality in hospital inpatients. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of a cohort of 784 older adults with unplanned admission to a North London acute medical unit between June and December 2007. Univariate regression analyses were performed to explore associations between ACB, as represented by the Anticholinergic Burden Scale (ACBS), delirium subtype (FSD vs. SSD), and mortality. RESULTS The mean age of the sample was 83 ± standard deviation (SD) 7.4 years, and the majority of patients were female (59%), lived in their own homes (71%), were without dementia (75%), and died between hospital admission and the end of the 2-year follow-up period (59%). Mean length of admission was 13.2 ± 14.4 days. Prescription data revealed an ACBS score of 1 in 26% of the cohort, of 2 in 12%, and of ≥ 3 in 16%. The mean total ACBS score for the cohort was 1.1 ± 1.4 (range 0-9). Patients with high ACB on admission were more likely to have severe dementia, to have multiple comorbidities, and to live in residential care. Higher ACB was not associated with delirium of either subtype in hospitalized older adults. Delirium itself was associated with increased mortality, and greater associations were seen in FSD (hazard ratio [HR] 2.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.70-3.01) than in SSD (HR 1.58; 95% CI 1.2-2.09); however, ACB had no impact on this relationship. CONCLUSIONS ACB was not found to be associated with increased delirium of either subtype or to have a demonstrable impact on mortality in delirium. Prior suggestions of links between ACB and mortality in similar populations may be mediated by higher levels of functional dependence, greater levels of residential home residence, or an increased prevalence of dementia in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark James Rawle
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, London, UK
- Whipps Cross University Hospital, London, UK
| | - Laura McCue
- Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, UCL, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth L. Sampson
- Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, UCL, London, UK
- Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust, London, UK
| | - Daniel Davis
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, London, UK
| | - Victoria Vickerstaff
- Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, UCL, London, UK
- Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, UCL, London, UK
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Dinh TS, González-González AI, Meid AD, Snell KIE, Rudolf H, Brueckle MS, Blom JW, Thiem U, Trampisch HJ, Elders PJM, Donner-Banzhoff N, Gerlach FM, Harder S, van den Akker M, Glasziou PP, Haefeli WE, Muth C. Are Anticholinergic Symptoms a Risk Factor for Falls in Older General Practice Patients With Polypharmacy? Study Protocol for the Development and Validation of a Prognostic Model. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:577747. [PMID: 33519441 PMCID: PMC7845421 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.577747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Cumulative anticholinergic exposure, also known as anticholinergic burden, is associated with a variety of adverse outcomes. However, studies show that anticholinergic effects tend to be underestimated by prescribers, and anticholinergics are the most frequently prescribed potentially inappropriate medication in older patients. The grading systems and drugs included in existing scales to quantify anticholinergic burden differ considerably and do not adequately account for patients’ susceptibility to medications. Furthermore, their ability to link anticholinergic burden with adverse outcomes such as falls is unclear. This study aims to develop a prognostic model that predicts falls in older general practice patients, to assess the performance of several anticholinergic burden scales, and to quantify the added predictive value of anticholinergic symptoms in this context. Methods: Data from two cluster-randomized controlled trials investigating medication optimization in older general practice patients in Germany will be used. One trial (RIME, n = 1,197) will be used for the model development and the other trial (PRIMUM, n = 502) will be used to externally validate the model. A priori, candidate predictors will be selected based on a literature search, predictor availability, and clinical reasoning. Candidate predictors will include socio-demographics (e.g. age, sex), morbidity (e.g. single conditions), medication (e.g. polypharmacy, anticholinergic burden as defined by scales), and well-being (e.g. quality of life, physical function). A prognostic model including sociodemographic and lifestyle-related factors, as well as variables on morbidity, medication, health status, and well-being, will be developed, whereby the prognostic value of extending the model to include additional patient-reported symptoms will be also assessed. Logistic regression will be used for the binary outcome, which will be defined as “no falls” vs. “≥1 fall” within six months of baseline, as reported in patient interviews. Discussion: As the ability of different anticholinergic burden scales to predict falls in older patients is unclear, this study may provide insights into their relative importance as well as into the overall contribution of anticholinergic symptoms and other patient characteristics. The results may support general practitioners in their clinical decision-making and in prescribing fewer medications with anticholinergic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Sophia Dinh
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ana Isabel González-González
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas (REDISSEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreas D Meid
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kym I E Snell
- Centre for Prognosis Research, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Henrik Rudolf
- Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Jeanet W Blom
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ulrich Thiem
- Chair of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University Clinic Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Geriatrics, Immanuel Albertinen Diakonie, Albertinen-Haus, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Joachim Trampisch
- Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Petra J M Elders
- Amsterdam UMC, General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Norbert Donner-Banzhoff
- Department of General Practice/Family Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ferdinand M Gerlach
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Harder
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Paul P Glasziou
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia
| | - Walter E Haefeli
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christiane Muth
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of General Practice and Family Medicine, Medical Faculty OWL, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
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21
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Martínez Arrechea S, Ferro Uriguen A, Beobide Telleria I, González Bueno J, Alaba Trueba J, Sevilla Sánchez D. [Prevalence of prescription of anticholinergic/sedative burden drugs among older people with dementia living in nursing homes]. Rev Esp Geriatr Gerontol 2020; 56:11-17. [PMID: 33309422 DOI: 10.1016/j.regg.2020.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Dementia is one of the most frequent diseases in the elderly, being its prevalence of up to 64% in institutionalized people. In this population, in addition to antidementia drugs, it is common to prescribe drugs with anticholinergic/sedative burden that, due to their adverse effects, could worsen their functionality and cognitive status. The objective is to estimate the prevalence of the use of drugs with anticholinergic/ sedative burden in institutionalized older adults with dementia and to assess the associated factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study developed in older with dementia living in nursing homes. The prevalence of prescription of anticholinergic/sedative drugs was estimated according to the Drug Burden Index (DBI). A comparative analysis of the DBI score was performed between different types of dementia as well as among various factors and according to the anticholinergic/sedative risk, establishing as a cut-off point of DBI≥1 (high anticholinergic/sedative risk). RESULTS 178 residents were included. 83.7% had some drug with anticholinergic/sedative burden according to DBI. 50% had a DBI≥1 score. Residents with vascular dementia had a mean DBI of 1.34 (SD 0.84), a significantly higher score than residents with Alzheimer's disease (0.41, 95% CI 0.04-0.78).). Likewise, a higher DBI was associated with more polypharmacy (3.36; 95% CI 2.64-4.08), more falls, hospital admissions and emergency room visits (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS Polypharmacy and prescription of anticholinergic/sedative drugs is frequent among institutionalized older adults with dementia, finding an association between DBI, falls and hospital admissions or emergency department visits. Therefore, it is necessary to propose interdisciplinary pharmacotherapeutic optimization strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Martínez Arrechea
- Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Ricardo Bermingham (Matia Fundazioa), San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, España.
| | - Alexander Ferro Uriguen
- Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Ricardo Bermingham (Matia Fundazioa), San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, España
| | - Idoia Beobide Telleria
- Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Ricardo Bermingham (Matia Fundazioa), San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, España
| | - Javier González Bueno
- Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitari de Vic (Consorci Hospitalari de Vic), Vic, Barcelona, España; Sistema Integral de Salut d'Osona (SISO), Vic, Barcelona, España; Grupo de Investigación en Cronicidad de la Cataluña Central (C3RG)-Universitat de Vic/Universitat Central de Catalunya, Vic, Barcelona, España
| | - Javier Alaba Trueba
- Centro Residencial Fraisoro (Matia Fundazioa), San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, España
| | - Daniel Sevilla Sánchez
- Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitari de Vic (Consorci Hospitalari de Vic), Vic, Barcelona, España; Grupo de Investigación en Cronicidad de la Cataluña Central (C3RG)-Universitat de Vic/Universitat Central de Catalunya, Vic, Barcelona, España; Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitari de la Santa Creu de Vic, Vic, Barcelona, España
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Iterative Development of Clinician Guides to Support Deprescribing Decisions and Communication for Older Patients in Hospital: A Novel Methodology. Drugs Aging 2020; 38:75-87. [PMID: 33251567 DOI: 10.1007/s40266-020-00820-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Medication review is an important component of the management of older hospital patients. Deprescribing (supervised withdrawal of inappropriate medicines) is one outcome of review. This study aimed to iteratively develop and test the usability of deprescribing guides, which support multidisciplinary clinicians to reduce inappropriate polypharmacy in older inpatients. METHODS Deprescribing guides for hospital clinicians were developed using a novel mixed-methods, ten-step process. Iterative development and usability testing were applied. This included content development through review of the literature; expert consensus through five rounds of feedback using a modified Delphi approach; and usability testing by 16 multidisciplinary hospital clinicians on hypothetical clinical scenarios involving observations, semi-structured interviews, and administration of the System Usability Scale. RESULTS This novel process was used to develop deprescribing guides that facilitate implementation of evidence on deprescribing in routine hospital care. The guides present evidence-based information in a format that aligns with workflows of multidisciplinary hospital clinicians. The guides were adapted for various clinical roles to navigate efficiently to suit differing workflow needs. Guides include unique communication support in the form of "preferred language". Clinicians can use the "preferred language" to apply the evidence to the individual patient and relay decisions between health providers and with patients/carers. The total System Usability Scale score was 80.6 ± 2.0 (mean ± standard error of the mean), indicating excellent usability. Guides have been developed using consistent format for nine medication classes that are common targets for deprescribing and are publicly available. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates a novel approach to the development and implementation of evidence-based recommendations that support deprescribing in routine hospital care.
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23
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Kouladjian O'Donnell L, Gnjidic D, Sawan M, Reeve E, Kelly PJ, Chen TF, Bell JS, Hilmer SN. Impact of the Goal-directed Medication Review Electronic Decision Support System on Drug Burden Index: A cluster-randomised clinical trial in primary care. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2020; 87:1499-1511. [PMID: 32960464 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS The Goal-directed Medication Review Electronic Decision Support System (G-MEDSS) assesses and reports a patient's goals, attitudes to deprescribing and Drug Burden Index (DBI) score, a measure of cumulative exposure to anticholinergic and sedative medications. This study evaluated the effect of implementing G-MEDSS in home medicines reviews (HMRs) on DBI exposure and clinical outcomes. METHODS A cluster-randomised clinical trial was performed across Australia. Accredited clinical pharmacists were randomised into intervention (G-MEDSS with usual care HMR) or comparison groups (usual care HMR alone). Patients were recruited by pharmacists from those routinely referred by general practitioners for HMR. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with any reduction in DBI at 3-months follow-up. Secondary outcomes included change in DBI continuous score at 3-months, HMR recommendations to change DBI and clinical outcomes. RESULTS There were 201 patient participants at baseline (n = 88 intervention, n = 113 comparison), with 159 followed-up at 3-months (n = 63 intervention, n = 96 comparison). The proportion of patients with a reduction in DBI was not significantly different at 3-months (intervention 17%, comparison 11%; adjusted odds ratio 1.44, 95% confidence interval 0.56-3.80). Regarding secondary outcomes, there was no difference in change in DBI score at 3-months. However, the HMR report made recommendations to reduce DBI for a significantly greater proportion of patients in the intervention than in the comparison group (intervention 37%, comparison 14%; adjusted odds ratio 3.20, 95% confidence interval 1.50-6.90). No changes were observed in clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION Implementation of G-MEDSS within HMR did not reduce patients' DBI at 3 months compared with usual care HMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Kouladjian O'Donnell
- NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.,Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Danijela Gnjidic
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mouna Sawan
- NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.,Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Emily Reeve
- NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.,Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.,Geriatric Medicine Research, Faculty of Medicine, and College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, UniSA: Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Patrick J Kelly
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Timothy F Chen
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Simon Bell
- NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.,Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah N Hilmer
- NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.,Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
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24
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Stewart C, Yrjana K, Kishor M, Soiza RL, Taylor-Rowan M, Quinn TJ, Loke YK, Myint PK. Anticholinergic Burden Measures Predict Older People's Physical Function and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020; 22:56-64. [PMID: 32709405 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.05.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42019115918) compared the evidence behind anticholinergic burden (ACB) measures and their ability to predict changes in older people's physical function and quality of life. DESIGN Eligible cohort or case-control studies were identified systematically using comprehensive search terms and a validated search filter for prognostic studies. Medline (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), CINAHL (EMBSCO), and PsycINFO (OVID) databases were searched. Risk of bias, using Quality in Prognosis Studies tool, and quality of evidence, using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation, were assessed. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS People aged 65 years and older from any clinical setting. MEASURES Any ACB measures were accepted (including the anticholinergic domain of the Drug Burden Index). Any global/multidimensional measure for physical function and/or quality of life was accepted for outcome. RESULTS Thirteen studies reporting associations between ACB and physical function (n = 10) or quality of life (n = 4) were included. Exposure measures included Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale, Anticholinergic Drug Scale, Anticholinergic Risk Scale, Clinician Rated Anticholinergic Score, and the anticholinergic domain of the Drug Burden Index. All studies were rated moderate risk of bias in ≥2 Quality in Prognosis Studies categories with 5 rated high risk in ≥1 categories. Seven of 10 studies (5251 of 7569 participants) reported significant decline in physical function with increased burden. All 4 studies (2635 participants) reporting quality of life demonstrated similar association with increased burden. High risk of biases and inadequate data reporting restricted analysis. There was no evidence to support one measure being superior to another. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The evidence supports association between increased ACB and future impairments in physical function and quality of life. No conclusion can be made regarding which ACB measure has the best prognostic value. Well-designed longitudinal studies are required to address this. Clinicians should be aware of patient's anticholinergic burden and consider alternative medications where appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Stewart
- Aging Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
| | - Kaisa Yrjana
- Aging Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Mitrysha Kishor
- Aging Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Roy L Soiza
- Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Martin Taylor-Rowan
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Terence J Quinn
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Yoon K Loke
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Phyo Kyaw Myint
- Aging Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK; Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
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25
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Jun K, Ah YM, Hwang S, Chung JE, Lee JY. Prevalence of anticholinergic burden and risk factors amongst the older population: analysis of insurance claims data of Korean patients. Int J Clin Pharm 2020; 42:453-461. [PMID: 32281075 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-020-01010-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Background Despite growing interest in the negative clinical outcomes of multiple anticholinergic use, limited studies have evaluated anticholinergic burden in the geriatric population nationally. Objective To evaluate the prevalence of high anticholinergic burden using the newly developed Korean Anticholinergic Burden Scale in comparison with previous tools and to identify associated factors. Setting National insurance data from a cross section (20%) of older Koreans (2016). Methods Anticholinergic burden was measured using the Korean scale in comparison to the Anticholinergic Drug Scale, Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden, and Anticholinergic Risk Scale. High anticholinergic burden was defined as a summed score of ≥ 3 for concurrent medications or a dose-standardized average daily score of ≥ 3, using each anticholinergic scale. Main outcomes measured Prevalence and predictors of high anticholinergic burden. Results Data of 1,292,323 patients were analyzed. According to the Korean scale, the prevalence of high anticholinergic burden was 25.5%. This result was similar to that from the Anticholinergic Drug Scale (24.9%) and Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (22.2%). Factors associated with an increased likelihood of anticholinergic burden include: age, gender (female), high Charlson comorbidity index score, polypharmacy, medical aid beneficiary, co-morbidities (such as schizophrenia, depression, urinary incontinence, and Parkinson's disease), frequent healthcare visits, various healthcare facilities utilized, and predominantly visiting hospital-level facilities. According to the Korean Anticholinergic Burden Scale, the major drugs contributing to the anticholinergic burden were ranitidine, chlorpheniramine, tramadol, and dimenhydrinate. Conclusion This study showed that 1 in 4 older Koreans are exposed to high anticholinergic burden. The predictors identified in this research might assist pharmacists in early interventions for their patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwanghee Jun
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Mi Ah
- College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunghee Hwang
- College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Jee Eun Chung
- College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju-Yeun Lee
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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26
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O’Dwyer M, McCallion P, McCarron M, O’Connell J, Henman M. Measuring drug burden in older adults with intellectual disabilities: Critical issues for consideration in finding the optimal measure to improve safety of medicines use. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2020; 19:649-652. [DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2020.1751119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maire O’Dwyer
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panoz Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | | | - Mary McCarron
- Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Juliette O’Connell
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panoz Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Martin Henman
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panoz Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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27
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Kusljic S, Woolley A, Lowe M, Manias E. How do cognitive and functional impairment relate to the use of anticholinergic medications in hospitalised patients aged 65 years and over? Aging Clin Exp Res 2020; 32:423-431. [PMID: 31124057 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-019-01225-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anticholinergic medications are commonly prescribed to older adults despite their unfavourable pharmacological profile. There are no specific systems in place to alert prescribers about the wide range of medications with anticholinergic properties and their cumulative potential. AIMS To examine associations between medications with anticholinergic properties and cognitive and functional impairment in hospitalised patients aged 65 years and older. METHODS This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 94 patients admitted to a rehabilitation ward and a geriatric evaluation and management unit. Anticholinergic burden was calculated using the Anticholinergic Risk Scale. The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination and the Elderly Symptom Assessment Scale tools were utilised to assess cognitive function and burden of anticholinergic symptoms, respectively. RESULTS Medications with anticholinergic properties were taken by 72.3% of patients with level 1 being the most commonly consumed (median 1, IQR = 0-2) medications. There was no association between anticholinergic medication use and cognitive function or anticholinergic symptoms. Increasing age and the hospital length of stay were associated with fewer anticholinergic symptoms (p < 0.001 and p = 0.021, respectively), whereas the total number of medications consumed was linked to a greater burden of anticholinergic symptoms (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION A lack of association between anticholinergic medications and cognitive function could be related to duration of exposure to this group of medications and the age sensitivity. Additionally, the total number of medications consumed by patients was linked to a greater burden of anticholinergic symptoms. These findings highlight the need for improved knowledge and attentiveness when prescribing medications in general in this vulnerable population.
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28
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Association between anticholinergic drug burden and mortality in older people: a systematic review. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2019; 76:319-335. [PMID: 31832732 DOI: 10.1007/s00228-019-02795-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of the study is to conduct a systematic review of studies examining the association between anticholinergic burden and mortality in older individuals. METHODS A literature search was performed to identify relevant studies, using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CENTRAL, from January 1990 to December 2018. We included studies of patients with a mean age of 65 years or older where the anticholinergic burden was estimated using anticholinergic risk assessment tools, and associations between anticholinergic load and mortality were investigated. The primary outcome of interest was the association between anticholinergic burden and mortality. RESULTS Twenty-seven studies were included. These were three cross-sectional, one nested case-control and 23 prospective or retrospective cohort studies. Most studies were determined to be of good quality. A total of 15 studies reported a positive correlation between anticholinergic burden and mortality, while the remaining 10 studies did not report a significant association. Eighteen out of 27 studies (80%) had a short follow-up period of 1 year or less. Among the five high-quality studies that met all the domains of the quality assessment criteria, four showed a positive association. CONCLUSION The variation in results could relate to the quality of the studies, follow-up period, anticholinergic risk assessment tool used and the study setting. Sixty-three percent (n = 17) of all the included studies, but almost all of the high-quality studies with an extended follow-up, reported a positive correlation between anticholinergic burden and mortality. Further high-quality research, using standardized measures and with adequate follow-up periods, is required to confirm the relationship between anticholinergic burden and mortality.
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29
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Stewart C, Gallacher K, Nakham A, Cruickshank M, Newlands R, Bond C, Myint PK, Bhattacharya D, Mair FS. Barriers and facilitators to reducing anticholinergic burden from the perspectives of patients, their carers, and healthcare professionals: A protocol for qualitative evidence synthesis. J Evid Based Med 2019; 12:227-231. [PMID: 31441236 DOI: 10.1111/jebm.12359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Anticholinergic drugs are prescribed for a range of conditions including gastrointestinal disorders, overactive bladder, allergies, and depression. While in some circumstances anticholinergic effects are therapeutic, they also pose many undesired or adverse effects. The overall impact from concomitant use of multiple medications with anticholinergic properties is termed anticholinergic burden (ACB). Greater ACB is associated with increased risks of impaired physical and cognitive function, falls, cardiovascular events, and mortality. This has led to the development of interventions aimed at reducing ACB through the deprescribing of anticholinergic drugs. However, little is known about the implementation issues that may influence successful embedding and integration of such interventions into routine clinical practice. In this paper, we present the protocol for our systematic review that aims to identify the qualitative evidence for the barriers and facilitators to reduce ACB from the perspectives of patients, carers, and healthcare professionals. A comprehensive search strategy will be conducted across OVID Medline, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL. The review will be conducted in accordance with ENTREQ (Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research) and has been registered with PROSPERO (Registration CRD42018109084). Normalization process theory (NPT) will be used to explore, understand, and explain qualitative data in relation to factors that act as barriers or facilitators to ACB reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Stewart
- Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Team, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Katie Gallacher
- General Practice and Primary Care, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Athagran Nakham
- Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Team, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Moira Cruickshank
- Health Services Research Unit, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Rumana Newlands
- Health Services Research Unit, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Christine Bond
- Primary Care, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Phyo Kyaw Myint
- Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Team, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - Frances S Mair
- General Practice and Primary Care, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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30
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Aspinall SL, Hanlon JT, Niznik JD, Springer SP, Thorpe CT. Deprescribing in Older Nursing Home Patients: Focus on Innovative Composite Measures for Dosage Deintensification. Innov Aging 2018; 1:igx031. [PMID: 30564752 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igx031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Deprescribing, which includes stopping or reducing the dosage of medications, is designed to improve safety and prevent adverse drug reactions in older patients. To date, there has been limited work on measuring decreases in dosage intensity, or deintensification, across therapeutic classes of medications. Given the ongoing focus on central nervous system (CNS) medications and the frequency with which providers encounter hypertension and diabetes in older nursing home patients, the objective of this expert review is to describe and critique innovative composite dosage intensity measures that have been, or could be, applied to quantify deintensification within three therapeutic medication targets commonly encountered in nursing home patients: CNS agents, antihypertensive therapy, and antidiabetic therapy and the extent to which they are associated with health outcomes. Composite measures for CNS medication intensity considered dividing a patient's daily dose by defined daily dosage (DDD), or the minimum effective adult or geriatric daily dosage. In contrast, composite measures for antihypertensives used either DDD or maximum recommended daily dosage in the denominator. We were not able to identify any composite measure of intensity for antidiabetic classes. There was a paucity of interventional studies that showed reducing the dosage intensity resulted in improved health outcomes. In conclusion, we identified several innovative composite measures of dosage intensity for CNS and antihypertensive medications, and discussed possible approaches for developing an antidiabetic regimen composite measure. It is critical for future research to compare and contrast various measures and to determine their impact on important clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherrie L Aspinall
- VA Center for Medication Safety/Pharmacy Benefits Management Services, Hines, Illinois.,VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Joseph T Hanlon
- VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pennsylvania.,Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Joshua D Niznik
- VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sydney P Springer
- VA Center for Medication Safety/Pharmacy Benefits Management Services, Hines, Illinois.,VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Carolyn T Thorpe
- VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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The effect of polypharmacy on prefrontal cortex activation during single and dual task walking in community dwelling older adults. Pharmacol Res 2018; 139:113-119. [PMID: 30408573 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Polypharmacy, defined as the use of 5 or more medications is associated with multiple adverse outcomes in older adults, including falls and slow gait velocity. However, the relationship between polypharmacy and cortical control of locomotion has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between polypharmacy and activation patterns in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a brain region involved in higher order control of locomotion during attention-demanding conditions. METHODS Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to quantify PFC oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) levels, we performed a cross sectional analysis of 325 community dwelling adults age ≥65 years, and examined HbO2 levels during single tasks (Single-Task-Walk (STW), (talking, cognitive interference (Alpha)) and Dual-Task Walk (DTW)). RESULTS The prevalence of polypharmacy was 33% (n = 104) amongst the 325 participants (mean age 76.4 ± 6.7 years, 56% women). Among the 221 participants with no polypharmacy there was an increase in HbO2 levels from STW to DTW (estimate = -0.625; p = <0.001) and from Alpha to DTW (estimate=-0.079; p = 0.031). Polypharmacy status, however, moderated the change in HbO2 levels comparing the two single tasks to the dual-task walking condition. Specifically, the presence of polypharmacy was associated with an attenuated increase in HbO2 levels from STW to DTW (estimate = 0.149; p = 0.027) and with a decline in HbO2 levels from Alpha to DTW (estimate = 0.169; p = 0.009) after adjustments for potential confounders including medical comorbidities and the use of high-risk medications. CONCLUSION The results of this study further support the need for clinicians to reduce polypharmacy in older adults, given its significant association with the PFC hemodynamic response during attention-demanding locomotion.
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Lau ETL, Steadman KJ, Cichero JAY, Nissen LM. Dosage form modification and oral drug delivery in older people. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018; 135:75-84. [PMID: 29660383 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2018.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Many people cannot swallow whole tablets and capsules. The cause ranges from difficulties overriding the natural instinct to chew solids/foodstuff before swallowing, to a complex disorder of swallowing function affecting the ability to manage all food and fluid intake. Older people can experience swallowing difficulties because of co-morbidities, age-related physiological changes, and polypharmacy. To make medicines easier to swallow, many people will modify the medication dosage form e.g. split or crush tablets, and open capsules. Some of the challenges associated with administering medicines to older people, and issues with dosage form modification will be reviewed. Novel dosage forms in development are promising and may help overcome some of the issues. However, until these are more readily available, effective interdisciplinary teams, and improving patient health literacy will help reduce the risk of medication misadventures in older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther T L Lau
- School of Clinical Sciences, QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Gardens Point Campus, 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia.
| | - Kathryn J Steadman
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Julie A Y Cichero
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Lisa M Nissen
- School of Clinical Sciences, QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Gardens Point Campus, 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia.
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