Polypharmacy In Individuals Research Articles

Associations between Constipation and Use of Levodopa with Nutritional Status, Polypharmacy, and Stage of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a highly prevalent disease characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms; the latter include constipation, which is considered a prodromal symptom. On the other hand, sarcopenia, polypharmacy, and malnutrition due to deficits are common in PD and lead to poorer health and quality of life. to associate constipation and use of levodopa with nutritional status, sarcopenia, duration and stage of the disease, and polypharmacy in individuals with PD. analytical cross-sectional observational study where an online survey was applied to 161 people suffering from PD. a significant association is observed between constipation and BMI (p = 0.022), as well as between the use of levodopa with BMI (p = 0.049) and polypharmacy (p = 0.046). On the other hand, there is a relationship between the average time of PD diagnosis and constipation (p = 0.0047). Finally, there is a relationship between SARC-F score applied to those over 60 years of age (p = 0.0446) and the use of levodopa. Having sarcopenia, being overweight, and having had the disease for less than five years is associated with a higher probability of experiencing constipation, according to the logistic regression analysis (p > 0.005). nutritional assessment and subsequent follow-up is of vital importance to avoid complications that could be associated with levodopa use, constipation, and sarcopenia.

Polypharmacy and medication usage patterns in hypertensive patients: Findings from the Pars Cohort Study

Polypharmacy, defined here as the concomitant use of five or more medications, is a significant health issue, particularly affecting individuals with chronic diseases like hypertension (HTN). To compare individuals with and without HTN in term of polypharmacy, and to investigate correlates of polypharmacy and medication use patterns in individuals with HTN in southwest Iran. This cross-sectional study used the baseline data of 9270 participants of the Pars Cohort Study (PCS) with a mean age of 52.6 ± 9.7 years. Poisson multivariable modeling was applied to identify correlates of polypharmacy, and Lexicomp® was used to assess drug-drug interactions. Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification was used to describe the pattern of medication use. The prevalence of polypharmacy in individuals without hypertension was 4.7 % (4.2%–5.2 %) vs. 23.7 % (22.1%–25.3 %) in individuals with hypertension (P < 0.001). Individuals with hypertension from middle-high socioeconomic status (SES) had a 1.51-fold higher prevalence of polypharmacy than vs. low SES. Those with more than three comorbidities had a 5.18 times higher prevalence of polypharmacy than those with isolated hypertension. Calcium channel blockers were the most common antihypertensives (20.9 %). In terms of drug-drug interactions, type C interactions were most prevalent among participants with hypertension and polypharmacy (76.0 %). Our findings imply a fairly high prevalence of polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions among individuals with hypertension; to tackle this issue, we recommend a national pharmacovigilance system, training programs for primary care physicians, public education and awareness campaigns, drug-checking campaigns, targeted screenings to alter modifiable risk factors, and the use of safe combination pills.

An analysis of protective health behavior and polypharmacy among older patients: a nationwide cohort study

BackgroundThis study analyzed the relationship between protective health behaviors and polypharmacy in individuals aged 65 years and older.MethodsWe used data from a nationwide survey (KNHANES) from 2012 to 2016 in conjunction with the health insurance claims databases. A total of 3297 adults aged 65 or older were included in the study. Polypharmacy was defined as more than 30 prescription days in 6 months with five or more different drugs. Health-related behaviors (BMI, smoking, drinking, regular walking, and living alone) were extracted for 6 months before measuring polypharmacy. We used multivariable logistic regression on polypharmacy for each protective health behavior, as well as a composite score of protective health behavior. Subgroup analysis was also conducted by age and sex.ResultsAmong protective health behaviors, BMI < 25 (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66–0.88) and never smoking (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62–0.98) were associated with a lower risk of polypharmacy. Polypharmacy was significantly associated with BMI < 25 in both sex subgroups (male: OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56–0.88; female: OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67–0.99) and 65–79 subgroup (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.63–0.86). The association between never smoking and polypharmacy was only significant in the 65–79 subgroup (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55–0.91). Participants with five protective health behaviors had a lower risk of polypharmacy than participants with zero or one health behavior, which was only statistically significant in the subgroup analysis of participants aged 65–79 years (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29–0.94).ConclusionsThis study finds that health behaviors such as obesity and smoking are associated with a higher risk of polypharmacy. Furthermore, we confirm that a high score of protective health behaviors is associated with a lower risk of polypharmacy. Our findings indicate the need for geriatric-centered management of protective health behaviors to prevent polypharmacy.

Drug utilization and factors associated with polypharmacy in individuals with diabetes mellitus in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of drugs and the factors associated with polypharmacy in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Minas Gerais. Descriptive analysis of drugs in use and logistic regression to estimate the association between socio-demographic and clinical characteristics with polypharmacy were performed. Of the 2619 respondents, 56.5% were in polypharmacy. Drugs for DM, agent in renin-angiotensin system, and diuretics are the most frequently used. Factors such as age, comorbidities and increased access to health services were associated with polypharmacy. It was observed high prevalence of polypharmacy, which requires a suitable care and better quality of drug use in this population.

Addressing Multimorbidity and Polypharmacy in Individuals With Atrial Fibrillation.

The objectives of this review were to (1) discuss how multimorbidity and polypharmacy contributes to the complexity of management among individuals with AF and (2) identify any interventions to manage polypharmacy in relation to AF. Based on the four landmark clinical trials of novel anticoagulants, the most common comorbidities with AF are hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, stroke and myocardial infarction. Polypharmacy was also found prevalent in 76.5% of patients with AF, with a median of six drugs per patient. Despite the consequences of polypharmacy in AF, there is very little evidence-based intervention designed to manage it. Hence, there is a need for further research to examine interventions to manage polypharmacy in relation to AF. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia requiring treatment in adults. Due to the structural and/or electrophysiological abnormalities that occur in AF, patients are managed through the use of prophylactic anticoagulant and rate and/or rhythm control medications. However, these medications are considered high risk and can increase the chances of medication misadventure. Additionally, AF rarely occurs in isolation and is known to coexist with multiple other medical comorbidities, i.e. multimorbidity. This also increases the number of medications, i.e. polypharmacy and pill burden which results in treatment non-compliance to prescribed therapy.

The risks of polypharmacy following spinal cord injury

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the overall prevalence of polypharmacy within the spinal cord injury (SCI) population, the level of polypharmacy with respect to seven classes of high-risk drugs commonly used to treat secondary conditions in the SCI population, and the overall risks for drug-related problems (DRP) related to polypharmacy.Design: A retrospective case–control design.Setting: A commercially available claims dataset that included patient cases from 4800 hospitals in the USA between 2007 and 2009.Participants: Individuals with tetraplegia, paraplegia, and those with SCI but not specified as either tetraplegia or paraplegia as well as a control population of randomly selected, age- and sex-matched individuals without a diagnosis of SCI.Outcome measures: The overall prevalence of polypharmacy, the prevalence of commonly prescribed high-risk medications, and the prevalence of reported DRPs.Results: Overall, the patients in the SCI population were prescribed significantly more medications than their control counterparts. There was a higher rate of individuals being prescribed medications from multiple high-risk classes (e.g. analgesic-narcotics, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, and skeletal muscle relaxer), as well as multiple medications within each class (e.g. multiple analgesic-narcotics). The SCI group had a higher incidence of DRPs.Conclusion: Our results are some of the first to demonstrate the extent of polypharmacy in individuals with SCI, including commonly prescribed high-risk medications, leading to a higher rate of DPRs. The higher rate of polypharmacy and DRPs can impact rehabilitation goals and community integration following neurologic injury.

Polypharmacy in Individuals with Intellectual Disability

The practice of polypharmacy has become increasingly prevalent in the treatment of individuals with psychiatric disorders. This has become a controversial issue due to the lack of safety and efficacy studies that would support its use. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the frequency of polypharmacy in individuals with IDD. It is expected that the individuals with IDD will have a high percentage of poly-pharmaceutical use. Additionally, the present study examines the use of antipsychotic medications in individuals with IDD.

Polypharmacy in the elderly: A literature review

To review the body of literature addressing polypharmacy in individuals aged 60 years and older to (a) determine primary care providers' definition of polypharmacy, (b) explore how polypharmacy was assessed in primary care, and (c) seek tested interventions that address polypharmacy. A systematic review of electronic bibliographic databases (e.g. EBSCOHost, InfoTrac, OVID, FirstSearch, and FirstSearch Deluxe) utilizing the search terms "polypharmacy," "polypharmacy and elderly," "polypharmacy and research," and "multiple medications" for the period January 1991 to October 2003 was completed. The search was supplemented with online site searches of relevant journals and review of reference lists of each article. Results of the literature review revealed that polypharmacy continues to be a significant issue and little research has been conducted regarding the methods primary care providers utilize to assess polypharmacy. Also, there is a gap in the literature regarding the interventions implemented by primary care providers to address polypharmacy. The following definition of polypharmacy in clinical practice might be more practical: the use of medications that are not clinically indicated. Selecting appropriate limits for numbers of medications may be counterproductive in populations with multiple comorbidities.