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Highlights of Papers in Clinical Investigations Section: The Appropriateness of Drug Use in an Older Nondemented and Demented Population
Author(s) -
Giron MS,
Wang HX,
Bernstein C
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1046/j.1532-5415.2001.49302455.x
Subject(s) - polypharmacy , medicine , dementia , drug , anticholinergic , beers criteria , geriatrics , population , disease , psychiatry , alzheimer's disease , gerontology , environmental health
Polypharmacy and inappropriate drug prescribing are major concerns for older people. In this study of 681 subjects age 80 years and older (mean 86.9) with or without dementia, the mean number of drugs used was 4.6 (4.5 for nondemented and 4.8 for demented subjects). Nondemented subjects were more commonly prescribed cardiovascular drugs and were more likely to be exposed to drug‐disease interactions. Demented subjects were more commonly prescribed neuropsychiatric drugs, exposed to drug duplication, and given drugs with potent anticholinergic properties. Multiple and inappropriate drug use places older people at high risk for adverse drug events.