Pattern of triptan use and cardiovascular coprescription: a pharmacoepidemiological study in Italy

Triptan use in elderly over 65 years and the risk of hospitalization for serious vascular events

BACKGROUND

Several studies have focused on the use of triptan and the risk of acute vascular events but the existence of such association is still debated and has never been quantified in patients over 65 years. To assess whether triptan use among older is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for acute vascular events.

METHODS

A propensity score-matched cohort study was designed using the French national health insurance database linked to hospital stays. Patients aged ≥ 65 years, newly treated by triptans between 2011 and 2014, were included… The primary event was hospitalization for an acute ischemic vascular event within de 90 days following triptan initiation. Association with triptan exposure was investigated through cox regression model, considering exposure at inclusion, and with exposure as a time-varying variable A case-crossover (CCO) and a self-controlled case series (SCCS) analyses were also conducted to address potential residual confounding.

RESULTS

The cohort included 24, 774 triptan users and 99 096 propensity matched controls (mean (SD) age: 71 years (5.9), 74% of women). Within 90 days after cohort entry, 163 events were observed in the triptan group, and 523 in the control group (0.66% vs. 0.53%, adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) exposed/not exposed 1.25 95%CI [1.05-1.49]; aHR time-varying 8.74 [5.21-14.66]). The association was significant (CCO) for all events (adjusted odds ratio (aOR1.63 [1.22-2.19]) with a more consistent association with cerebral events (aOR 2.14 [1.26-3.63]). The relative incidence (RI) for all events was 2.13 [1.76-2.58] in the SCCS, for cardiac (RI: 1.67 [1.23-2.27]) and for cerebral events (RI: 3.20, [2.30-4.45]).

CONCLUSION

The incidence of acute vascular events was low among triptan users. We found that triptan use among older may be associated with a low increased risk for acute vascular events, which may be more marked for cerebral events such as stroke, than for cardiac events.

Utilization patterns, cardiovascular risk, and concomitant serotoninergic medications among triptan users between 2008 and 2018: A gender analysis in one Italian region, Tuscany

OBJECTIVE

To describe the pattern of triptan use by gender in Tuscany, Italy, focusing on special user populations in which evidence on triptan safety is still not conclusive.

BACKGROUND

Growing evidence supports the role of gender differences in migraine pathophysiology and treatment. However, gender impact on triptan real-word utilization has been poorly investigated.

METHODS

A retrospective, descriptive, cohort study was performed using the population-based Administrative Healthcare Database of Tuscany region (Italy). Subjects registered in the database on the January 1 of each year between 2008 and 2018 were identified. New users (NU) of triptans (ATC:N02CC*) were patients with one or more triptan dispensation during the year of interest and none in the past. Age, cardiovascular comorbidities representing an absolute or a possible contraindication to triptan utilization, concomitant serotonergic medications, and pattern of triptan use during 1-year follow-up were described by gender.

RESULTS

A total of 86,109 patients who received one or more triptan dispensing were identified. Of 64,672 NU (men = 17,039; women = 47,633), 10.2% (6823/64,672) were aged >65 years, who were mostly women (n = 4613). Among NU, men and women with absolute cardiovascular contraindications were 4.3% (740/17,039) and 2.1% (1022/47,633), respectively, while those concomitantly taking serotonergic medications were 17.2% (267/1549) and 21.9% (949/4330), respectively (949/4330). Regular users (two or more dispensing with ≥3 months between first and last observed dispensing) accounted for 26.4% of women (12,597/47,633) and 19.11% of men (3250/17,039); frequent users (≥15 dosage units/month during ≥3 consecutive months) were overall 0.1% (94/64,672) and 62.0% (58/94) of them concomitantly received serotonergic medications.

CONCLUSION

Considering gender differences in triptan use highlighted here, large scale observational studies are warranted to better define what populations are safe to use triptans and whether it is appropriate to tighten or relax certain recommendations on triptan use. In the meantime, any suspected adverse drug reaction observed in the special user populations highlighted in this study should be promptly reported.

Triptans and vascular comorbidity in persons over fifty: Findings from a nationwide insurance database – A cohort study

Objective

To gather information about prescription of triptans and to evaluate whether vascular comorbidity differs in users and nonusers of triptans over the age of 50 years.

Background

Beyond the age of 50 years, migraine is still common—yet the incidence of vascular disorders increases. Triptans, medications for treating migraine attacks, are vasoconstrictive drugs and contraindicated in persons with vascular disorders.

Methods

Based on a nationwide insurance database from 2011, we compared the prescription of vascular drugs (identified by Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical codes), vascular diagnoses and hospitalizations, between triptan users greater than 50 years and a matched control group.

Results

Of the 3,116,000 persons over 50 years, 13,833 (0.44%) had at least one triptan prescription; 11,202 (81%) were women. Thirty percent of the triptan users (13,833/47,336 persons) were over 50 years. Of those over 50 years, 6832 (49.4%) had at least one vascular drug and 870 (6.3%) had at least one inpatient vascular diagnosis; 15.7% (2166 of 13,833 users) overused triptans. We compared triptan‐users to 41,400 nonusers, using a 1:3 match. In triptan‐users, prescriptions of cardiac therapies and beta blockers were significantly more common (odds ratio [OR] = 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.24–1.47 and OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.14–1.25, respectively); whereas prescriptions of calcium channel blockers and renin/angiotensin inhibitors were significantly less common (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.76–0.88 and OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.72–0.79, respectively). The prescriptions of antihypertensive, diuretic, and antilipidemic drugs as well as platelet inhibitors and direct thrombin inhibitors did not differ in users and nonusers. Triptan users had significantly more hospital stays (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.33–1.45); however, the number of days spent in the hospital and more importantly the frequency of inpatient vascular diagnoses did not differ statistically significantly between the two groups.

Conclusion

In persons over 50 years of age, a prescription of triptans is common. Vascular comorbidity is comparable in users and nonusers of triptans showing that triptans are prescribed despite vascular comorbidity and suggesting that triptan use does not increase vascular risk in patients with migraine over the age of 50 years. Nevertheless, regular evaluation for contraindications against triptans and for vascular risk factors is recommended in this age group.

Use and overuse of triptans in Austria - a survey based on nationwide healthcare claims data

Background

To evaluate triptan use and overuse as well as prescription patterns in Austria based on a nationwide healthcare database because data on triptan use and overuse in Austria is missing.

Methods

We included all persons insured with one of 19 Austrian social security institutions in 2007. Inclusion criteria comprised an age of 18–99 years, known sex, and receipt of insurance benefits. We defined triptan use as ≥1 package of a triptan dispensed in 2007 and triptan overuse as ≥30 defined daily doses dispensed in at least one quarter.

Results

Out of 8.295 million inhabitants in Austria, 7,426,412 persons (89.5%) were insured with a social insurance carrier and 5,918,487 persons of those insured (79.7%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Among the latter 33,062 persons (0,56%) were triptan users and 1970 (0.033%) were triptan overusers. The estimated proportion of persons with migraine using a triptan was less than 6%. Among users 5.9% were overusers of whom 55% overused triptans in ≥2 quarters of 2007. The median number of days of sick-leave was higher in triptan users than in non-users: due to any reason of sick-leave 12 vs. 10, p < 0.001, due to migraine 3 vs. 2, p < 0.001. The proportion of hospital admissions did not differ between triptan users and non-users.

Conclusion

The rate of triptan use is low in Austria but triptan users are at risk for triptan overuse. In triptan users more days of sick-leave and the same proportion of hospital admissions as in the older non-users suggest poorer health.

Triptans use and overuse: A pharmacoepidemiology study from the French health insurance system database covering 4.1 million people

Introduction

The objective of this study was to estimate and to characterize the actual patterns of triptan use and overuse in France using a drug reimbursement database.

Methods

We included all people covered by the French General Health Insurance System (GHIS) from the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (PACA) and Corsica administrative areas who had at least one dispensed dose of triptans between May 2010 and December 2011. All dispensed doses of triptans, migraine prophylactic treatment and psychotropic medications were extracted from the GHIS database. Triptan overuse was defined as triptan use >20 defined daily doses (DDD) per month on a regular basis for more than three consecutive months. Risk of overuse was assessed using logistic regression adjusted for gender and age.

Results

We included 99,540 patients who had at least one prescription of a triptan over the 20 months of the study. Among them, 2243 patients (2.3%) were identified as overusers and received 20.2% of the total DDD prescribed. Twelve percent of overusers and 6.9% of non-overusers were aged more than 65 years (OR: 1.81). Overusers did not have a greater number of prescribers and pharmacists than non-overusers. They were more frequently prescribed a prophylactic medication for migraine treatment (56.8% vs 35.9%, OR: 2.36), benzodiazepines (69.9% vs 54.7%, OR: 1.93) and antidepressants (49.4% vs 30.2%, OR: 2.33).

Conclusions

This work suggests that triptan overuse may be due to insufficient prescriber awareness of appropriate prescribing. The off-label prescription of triptans among the elderly necessitates investigating their cardiovascular risk profile in this sub-group.

Triptan use in Italy: Insights from administrative databases

Introduction

In this drug utilization study, we aimed at assessing the pattern of triptan use in Italy by means of the drug prescription databases of two local health authorities, accounting for approximately 1 million citizens.

Methods

The study population included all residents aged 18 to 84 years in the Vercelli province (about 175,000 inhabitants) and in the Umbria region (about 885,000 inhabitants), who had at least one dispensation for triptans in 2012. A frequent user, who might be at risk of medication-overuse headache (MOH), was defined as a patient being dispensed at least 10 defined daily doses (DDD) of triptans every month for at least three consecutive months.

Results

Triptans were used by 0.7%–1% of the population. While most patients were dispensed fewer than 60 DDDs per year, about 10% of all triptan users were classified as frequent users. In both areas, patients below the age of 29 were less likely to be frequent users while the 40- to 49-year-old population was the most affected, with no sex difference. About two-thirds of frequent users persisted in this behavior for an additional three-month period in the following six months.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that approximately 10% of all triptan users in the Italian population are potentially at risk for MOH. An approach based on drug prescription databases could be useful to identify patients at risk for MOH.

Triptans and serious adverse vascular events: data mining of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database

AIM

The aim of this article is to investigate the vascular safety profile of triptans through an analysis of the United States Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FDA_AERS) database with a special focus on serious and unexpected adverse events.

METHODS

A CASE/NON-CASE analysis was performed on the reports entered in the FDA_AERS from 2004 to 2010: CASES were reports with at least one event included in the MedDRA system organ classes 'Cardiac disorder' or 'Vascular disorders', whereas NON-CASES were all the remaining reports. Co-reported cardiovascular drugs were used as a proxy of cardiovascular risk and the adjusted reporting odds ratio (adj.ROR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) was calculated. Disproportionality signals were defined as adj.ROR value >1. Adverse events were considered unexpected if not mentioned on the relevant label.

RESULTS

Among 2,131,688 reports, 7808 concerned triptans. CASES were 2593 among triptans and 665,940 for all other drugs. Unexpected disproportionality signals were found in the following high-level terms of the MedDRA hierarchy: 'Cerebrovascular and spinal necrosis and vascular insufficiency' (103 triptan cases), 'Aneurysms and dissections non-site specific' (15), 'Pregnancy-associated hypertension' (10), 'Reproductive system necrosis and vascular insufficiency' (3).

DISCUSSION

Our analysis revealed three main groups of unexpected associations between triptans and serious vascular events: ischaemic cerebrovascular events, aneurysms and artery dissections, and pregnancy-related vascular events. A case-by-case assessment is needed to confirm or disprove their plausibility and large-scale analytical studies should be planned for risk rate estimation. In the meantime, clinicians should pay special attention to migraine diagnosis and vascular risk assessment before prescribing a triptan, also promptly reporting any unexpected event to pharmacovigilance systems.