Racial differences in anticholinergic use among community-dwelling elders

Home medication inventory method to assess over-the-counter (OTC) medication possession and use: A pilot study on the feasibility of in-person and remote modalities with older adults

BACKGROUND

There is a need for reproducible methods to measure over-the-counter (OTC) medication possession and use. This is because OTC medications are self-managed, variably monitored by healthcare professionals, and in certain populations such as older adults some OTC medications may introduce risk and cause more harm than benefit.

OBJECTIVE

(s): To develop and assess the feasibility of the Home Medication Inventory Method (HMIM), a novel method to measure possession and use of OTC medications.

METHODS

We benchmarked, adapted, and standardized prior approaches to medication inventory to develop a method capable of addressing the limitations of existing methods. We then conducted a pilot study of the HMIM among older adults. Eligible participants were aged ≥60 years, reported purchasing or considering purchasing OTC medication, and screened for normal cognition. Interviews were conducted both in person and remotely. When possible, photographs of all OTC medications were obtained with participant consent and completion times were recorded for both in-person and remote modalities.

RESULTS

In total 51 participants completed the pilot study. Home medication inventories were conducted in-person (n = 15) and remotely (n = 36). Inventories were completed in a mean (SD) of 20.2 min (12.7), and 96 % of inventories completed within 45 min. A total of 390 OTC medications were possessed by participants, for a mean (SD) of 7.6 (6.3) per participant. No differences in duration of interviews or number of medications reported were identified between in-person and remote modalities. Anticholinergic medications, a class targeted in the pilot as potentially harmful to older adults, were possessed by 31 % of participants, and 14 % of all participants reported use of such a medication within the previous 2 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementing the HMIM using in-person and remote modalities is a feasible and ostensibly reproducible method for collecting OTC medication possession and use information. Larger studies are necessary to further generalize HMIM feasibility and reliability in diverse populations.

Low-Income Older Adults' Vulnerability to Anticholinergic Medication-Associated Frailty

BACKGROUND

A growing body of research supports the negative impact of anticholinergic drug burden on physical frailty. However, prior research has been limited to homogeneous white European populations, and few studies have evaluated how anticholinergic burden tools compare in their measurement function and reliability with minority community-dwelling adult populations. This study investigated the association between anticholinergic drug exposure and frailty by conducting a sensitivity analysis using multiple anticholinergic burden tools in a diverse cohort.

METHODS

A comprehensive psychometric approach was used to assess the performance of five clinical Anticholinergic Burden Tools: Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale (ACB), Anticholinergic Drug Scale (ADS), average daily dose, total standardized daily doses (TSDD), and Cumulative Anticholinergic Burden scale (CAB). Spearman correlation matrix and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to determine the association among the variables. Ordinal logistic regression is used to evaluate the anticholinergic burden measured by each scale to determine the prediction of frailty. Model performance is determined by the area under the curve (AUC).

RESULTS

The cohort included 80 individuals (mean age 69 years; 55.7% female, 71% African American). All anticholinergic burden tools were highly correlated (p < 0.001), ICC3 0.66 (p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53-0.73). Among individuals prescribed anticholinergics, 33% were robust, 44% were prefrail, and 23% were frail. All five tools predicted prefrail and frail status (p < 0.05) with low model misclassification rates for frail individuals (AUC range 0.78-0.85).

CONCLUSION

Anticholinergic burden tools evaluated in this cohort of low-income African American older adults were highly correlated and predicted prefrail and frail status. Findings indicate that clinicians can select the appropriate instrument for the clinic setting and research question while maintaining confidence that all five tools will produce reliable results. Future anticholinergic research is needed to unravel the association between interventions such as deprescribing on incident frailty in longitudinal data.

Antimuscarinic use among older adults with dementia and overactive bladder: a Medicare beneficiaries study

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the incidence and predictors of antimuscarinic medication use including non-selective antimuscarinics among older adults with dementia and overactive bladder (OAB).

METHODS

The study used a new-user cohort design involving older adults (≥65 years) with dementia and OAB based on 2013-2015 Medicare data. Antimuscarinics included non-selective (oxybutynin, tolterodine, trospium, fesoterodine) and selective (solifenacin, darifenacin) medications. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the incidence and predictors of new antimuscarinic use including non-selective antimuscarinics, respectively.

RESULTS

Of the 3.38 million Medicare beneficiaries with dementia, over one million (1.05) had OAB (31.03%). Of those, 287,612 (27.39%) were reported as prevalent antimuscarinics users. After applying continuous eligibility criteria, 21,848 (10.34%) incident antimuscarinic users were identified (77.6% non-selective; 22.4% selective). Most frequently reported antimuscarinics were oxybutynin (56.3%) and solifenacin (21.4%). Multivariable analysis revealed that patients ≥75 years, of black race, and those with schizophrenia, epilepsy, delirium, and Elixhauser's score were less likely to initiate antimuscarinics. Women, those with abnormal involuntary movements, bipolar disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, muscle spasm/low back pain, neuropathic pain, benign prostatic hyperplasia, falls/fractures, myasthenia gravis, narrow-angle glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, syncope, urinary tract infection and vulvovaginitis were more likely to initiate antimuscarinics. Further, patients with muscle spasms/low back pain, benign prostatic hyperplasia and those taking higher level anticholinergics had lower odds of receiving non-selective antimuscarinics, whereas white patients, black patients and those with schizophrenia and delirium were more likely to receive them.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly one-third of dementia patients had OAB and over one-fourth of them used antimuscarinics. Majority of the incident users were prescribed non-selective antimuscarinics with several demographic and clinical factors contributing to their use. Given the high prevalence of OAB among dementia patients, there is a need to optimize their antimuscarinic use, considering their vulnerability for anticholinergic adverse effects.

Disparities in Cognitive Impairment With Anticholinergic Drug Use: A Population-Based Study

OBJECTIVES

We aim to evaluate the association between anticholinergic drug (ACH) use and cognitive impairment and the effect of disparity parameters (sex, race, income, education, and rural or urban areas) on this relationship.

METHODS

The analyses included 13,623 adults aged ≥65 years from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke study (recruited 2003-2007). The ACH use was defined by the 2015 Beers Criteria, and cognitive impairment was measured by the Six-Item Cognitive Screener. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed disparities in cognitive impairment with ACH use, iteratively adjusting for disparity parameters and other covariates. The full models included interaction terms between ACH use and other covariates. A similar approach was used for class-specific ACH exposure and cognitive impairment analyses.

RESULTS

Approximately 14% of the participants used at least 1 ACH listed in the Beers Criteria. Antidepressants were the most frequently prescribed ACH class. A significant sex-race interaction illustrated that females compared with males (in Blacks: odds ratio [OR] = 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.49 and in Whites: OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.74-2.20), especially White females (Black vs White: OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.64-0.80), were more likely to receive ACHs. Higher odds of cognitive impairment were observed among ACH users compared with the nonusers (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.01-1.58). In our class-level analyses, only antidepressant users (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.14-2.25) showed a significant association with cognitive impairment in the fully adjusted model.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed demographic and socioeconomic differences in ACH use and in cognitive impairment, individually.

Reducing anticholinergic medication exposure among older adults using consumer technology: Protocol for a randomized clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

A growing body of scientific evidence points to the potentially harmful cognitive effects of anticholinergic medications among older adults. Most interventions designed to promote deprescribing of anticholinergics have directly targeted healthcare professionals and have had mixed results. Consumer-facing technologies may provide a unique benefit by empowering patients and can complement existing healthcare professional-centric efforts.

METHODS

We initiated a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a patient-facing mobile application (Brain Safe app) compared to an attention control medication list app in reducing anticholinergic exposure among community-dwelling older adults. Study participants are adults aged 60 years and above, currently using at least one prescribed strong anticholinergic, and receiving primary care. The trial plans to enroll a total of 700 participants, randomly allocated in 1:1 proportion to the two study arms. Participants will have the Brain Safe app (intervention arm) or attention control medication list app (control arm) loaded onto a smartphone (study provided or personal device). All participants will be followed for 12 months and will have data collected at baseline, at 6 months, and 12 months by blinded outcome assessors. The primary outcome of the study is anticholinergic exposure measured as total standard daily dose (TSDD) computed from medication prescription electronic records. Secondary outcomes of the study are cognitive function and health-related quality of life.

DISCUSSION

A consumer-facing intervention to promote deprescribing of potentially high-risk medications can be part of a multi-pronged approach to reduce inappropriate medication use among older adult patients. Delivering a deprescribing intervention via a mobile app is a novel approach and may hold great promise to accelerate deployment of medication safety initiatives across diverse patient populations.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on October 10, 2019. Identifier number: NCT04121858.

Multicomponent behavioral intervention to reduce exposure to anticholinergics in primary care older adults

OBJECTIVE

To test the impact of a multicomponent behavioral intervention to reduce the use of high-risk anticholinergic medications in primary care older adults.

DESIGN

Cluster-randomized controlled trial.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Ten primary care clinics within Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis.

INTERVENTION

The multicomponent intervention included provider- and patient-focused components. The provider-focused component was computerized decision support alerting of the presence of a high-risk anticholinergic and offering dose- and indication-specific alternatives. The patient-focused component was a story-based video providing education and modeling an interaction with a healthcare provider resulting in a medication change. Alerts within the medical record triggered staff to play the video for a patient. Our design intended for parallel, independent priming of both providers and patients immediately before an outpatient face-to-face interaction.

MEASUREMENT

Medication orders were extracted from the electronic medical record system to evaluate the prescribing behavior and population prevalence of anticholinergic users. The intervention was introduced April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020, and a preintervention observational period of April 1, 2018, through March 31, 2019, facilitated difference in difference comparisons.

RESULTS

A total of 552 older adults had visits at primary care sites during the study period, with mean age of 72.1 (SD 6.4) years and 45.3% African American. Of the 259 provider-focused alerts, only three (1.2%) led to a medication change. Of the 276 staff alerts, 4.7% were confirmed to activate the patient-focused intervention. The intervention resulted in no significant differences in either the number of discontinue orders for anticholinergics (intervention: two additional orders; control: five fewer orders, p = 0.7334) or proportion of the population using anticholinergics following the intervention (preintervention: 6.2% and postintervention: 5.1%, p = 0.6326).

CONCLUSION

This multicomponent intervention did not reduce the use of high-risk anticholinergics in older adults receiving primary care. Improving nudges or a policy-focused component may be necessary to reduce use of high-risk medications.

Disparities in the appropriateness of medication use: Analysis of the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Prior work has identified disparities in the quality and outcomes of healthcare across socioeconomic subgroups. Medication use may be subject to similar disparities.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between demographic and socioeconomic factors (gender, age, race, income, education, and rural or urban residence) and appropriateness of medication use.

METHODS

US adults aged ≥45 years (n = 26,798) from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study were included in the analyses, of which 13,623 participants aged ≥65 years (recruited 2003-2007). Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in older adults and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) were identified through 2015 Beers Criteria and clinically significant drug interactions list by Ament et al., respectively as measures of medication appropriateness. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association of disparity parameters with PIM use and DDIs. Interactions between race and other disparity variables were investigated.

RESULTS

Approximately 87% of the participants aged ≥65 years used at least one drug listed in the Beers Criteria, and 3.8% of all participants used two or more drugs with DDIs. Significant gender-race interaction across prescription-only drug users revealed that white females compared with white males (OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.20-1.48) and black males compared with white males (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.41-1.82) were more likely to receive PIM. Individuals with lower income and education also were more likely to use PIM in this sub-group. Females were less likely than males (female vs. male: OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.48-0.63) and individuals resided in small rural areas as opposed to urban areas (small rural vs. urban: OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.07-1.76) were more likely to have DDIs.

CONCLUSION

Demographic and socioeconomic disparities in PIM use and DDIs exist. Future studies should seek to better understand factors contributing to the disparities in order to guide development of interventions.

Comparative Analysis Of Anticholinergics Prescribed To Elderly Patients At A Korean Long-Term Care Facility According To Beers Criteria 2003, 2012, And 2015 And Anticholinergic-Burden Rating Scales: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study

Background

The Beers Criteria is used as a reference to identify potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) prescribed to older people, and anticholinergic risk measurement scales (ARMSs) have been continuously made for measuring the anticholinergic burden. This study aimed to evaluate the concordance between any anticholinergics among PIMs identified by the Beers Criteria and those assessed by 9 different ARMSs.

Methods

This study was retrospectively conducted with Korean older patients hospitalized in the long-term care facility between March 2014 and August 2015. The data were collected through the chart review of electronic medical records of the patients. The Beers Criteria 2003, 2012, and 2015 were used to detect PIMs, and the following ARMSs were also employed to assess their potential anticholinergic effects: Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale (2008), Anticholinergic Risk Scale (2008), Chew’s Scale (2008), Anticholinergic Drug Scale (ADS; 2006), Anticholinergic Activity Scale (AAS; 2010), Anticholinergic Load Scale (2011), Clinician-Rated Anticholinergic Scale (2008), Duran’s Scale (2013), and Anticholinergic Burden Classification (2006).

Results

The eligible patients who met inclusion and exclusion criteria were 216 during the study period. Most patients were females (70.4%), and the mean age was 81.0 ± 6.7 years. Approximately 70%, 86%, and 87% of the patients included were identified as using at least one PIM according to the Beers Criteria 2003, 2012, and 2015, respectively. Compared with the Beers Criteria 2003, the versions of 2012 and 2015 showed more improved concordance associated with the ARMSs. When the Beers Criteria 2015 was compared with the ARMSs, the lowest concordance was found for AAS (κ = 0.153; 95% CI, 0.079–0.227), whereas the highest concordance was observed for ADS (κ = 0.530; 95% CI, 0.406–0.654).

Conclusion

The heterogeneity between the Beers Criteria and the ARMSs was observed. Compared with the Beers Criteria 2003, the versions of 2012 and 2015 showed more enhanced concordance associated with the ARMSs.

Anticholinergics Influence Transition from Normal Cognition to Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults in Primary Care

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine the influence of anticholinergic medications on transitions in cognitive diagnosis of older adults in primary care.

DESIGN

This observational cohort study was conducted over a mean follow-up of 3.2 years. Anticholinergic exposure was defined by pharmacy dispensing and claims records. Cognitive diagnosis was performed by an expert panel at baseline and annually up to 4 years.

DATA SOURCE

Medication exposure and other clinical data were extracted from the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC). The cognitive diagnosis was derived from a cognitive screening and diagnosis study.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 350 adults 65 years and older without dementia and receiving primary care in a safety net health care system.

MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS

Cognitive diagnosis followed a two-phase screening and consensus-based neuropsychiatric examination to determine a baseline diagnosis as normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia, with a follow-up neuropsychiatric examination and consensus-based diagnosis repeated annually. The Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden scale was used to identify anticholinergics dispensed up to 10 years before enrollment and annually throughout the study. A total standard daily dose of anticholinergics was calculated by using pharmacy dispensing data from the INPC. Among 350 participants, a total of 978 diagnostic assessments were completed over a mean follow-up of 3.2 years. Compared with stable cognition, increasing use of strong anticholinergics calculated by total standard daily dose increased the odds of transition from normal cognition to MCI (odds ratio [OR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.31, p = 0.0342). Compared with stable MCI, strong anticholinergics did not influence the reversion of MCI to normal cognition (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.86-1.05, p = 0.3266).

CONCLUSION

De-prescribing interventions in older adults with normal cognition should test anticholinergics as potentially modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment.

Understanding older adults' medication decision making and behavior: A study on over-the-counter (OTC) anticholinergic medications

BACKGROUND

Older adults purchase and use over-the-counter (OTC) medications with potentially significant adverse effects. Some OTC medications, such as those with anticholinergic effects, are relatively contraindicated for use by older adults due to evidence of impaired cognition and other adverse effects.

OBJECTIVE

To inform the design of future OTC medication safety interventions for older adults, this study investigated consumers' decision making and behavior related to OTC medication purchasing and use, with a focus on OTC anticholinergic medications.

METHODS

The study had a cross-sectional design with multiple methods. A total of 84 adults participated in qualitative research interviews (n = 24), in-store shopper observations (n = 39), and laboratory-based simulated OTC shopping tasks (n = 21). Simulated shopping participants also rank-ordered eight factors on their importance for OTC decision making.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that many participants had concerns about medication adverse effects, generally, but were not aware of age-related risk associated with the use of anticholinergic medications. Analyses produced a map of the workflow of OTC-related behavior and decision making as well as related barriers such as difficulty locating medications or comparing them to an alternative. Participants reported effectiveness, adverse effects or health risks, and price as most important to their OTC medication purchase and use decisions. A persona analysis identified two types of consumers: the habit follower, who frequently purchased OTC medications and considered them safe; and the deliberator, who was more likely to weigh their options and consider alternatives to OTC medications.

CONCLUSION

A conceptual model of OTC medication purchase and use is presented. Drawing on study findings and behavioral theories, the model depicts dual processes for OTC medication decision making - habit-based and deliberation-based - as well as the antecedents and consequences of decision making. This model suggests several design directions for consumer-oriented interventions to promote OTC medication safety.

Anticholinergic medication use and dementia: latest evidence and clinical implications

Use of medications with anticholinergic activity is widespread in older adults. Several studies have highlighted that anticholinergic use may be associated with an increased risk of dementia. The objective of this narrative review is to describe and evaluate studies of anticholinergic medication use and dementia and provide practical suggestions for avoiding use of these medications in older adults. A comprehensive review of the literature, citations from recent reviews and the author's personal files was conducted. Four studies were found that evaluated anticholinergic use and dementia as the primary outcome. Three studies focused on overall anticholinergic medication use and reported a statistically significantly increased risk of Alzheimer's disease or dementia. In one study, dementia risk was primarily found with higher cumulative doses; people using anticholinergic medications at the minimum effective dose recommended for older adults for at least 3 years were at highest risk. In contrast, a study conducted in nursing-home residents with depression did not find that paroxetine [a highly anticholinergic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, (SSRI)] increased risk for dementia compared with other SSRIs (without anticholinergic activity). Further study is needed to understand the mechanism by which anticholinergic medications may increase risk. In conclusion, there is evidence from three observational studies suggesting that anticholinergic medications may increase dementia risk. Given this potential risk and the myriad of other well-known adverse effects (i.e. constipation, blurred vision, urinary retention, and delirium) associated with anticholinergic medications, it is prudent for prescribers and older adults to minimize use of these medications and consider alternatives when possible.

Concordance Between Anticholinergic Burden Scales

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate concordance of five commonly used anticholinergic scales.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional secondary analysis.

SETTING

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Memphis, Tennessee.

PARTICIPANTS

Community-dwelling adults aged 70 to 79 with baseline medication data from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study (N = 3,055).

MEASUREMENTS

Any anticholinergic use, weighted scores, and total standardized daily dosage were calculated using five anticholinergic measures (Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) Scale, Anticholinergic Drug Scale (ADS), Anticholinergic Risk Scale (ARS), Drug Burden Index anticholinergic component (DBI-ACh), and Summated Anticholinergic Medications Scale (SAMS)). Concordance was evaluated using kappa statistics and Spearman rank correlations.

RESULTS

Any anticholinergic use in rank order was 51% for the ACB, 43% for the ADS, 29% for the DBI-ACh, 23% for the ARS, and 16% for the SAMS. Kappa statistics for all pairwise use comparisons ranged from 0.33 to 0.68. Similarly, concordance as measured using weighted kappa statistics ranged from 0.54 to 0.70 for the three scales not incorporating dosage (ADS, ARS, ACB). Spearman rank correlation between the DBI-ACh and SAMS was 0.50.

CONCLUSION

Only low to moderate concordance was found between the five anticholinergic scales. Future research is needed to examine how these differences in measurement affect their predictive validity with respect to clinically relevant outcomes, such as cognitive impairment.