Risk factors for polypharmacy in older adults in a primary care setting: a cross-sectional study

Figures & data

Table 1 Descriptive variables and DDC

Variable	N	Percent	DDC ± SD	P-value
Overall	1,000	100.00	4.63±3.51
Female	624	62.4	4.77±3.3	0.087
Male	376	37.6	4.29±3.7
Outpatient clinic	536	53.6	5.31±3.7	0.001708a
Home visit	464	46.4	3.76±3.6
Educated	614	61.4	4.72±3.4	0.24
Illiterate	376	37.6	4.39±3.0
With health insurance	911	91.1	4.79±3.5	0.001708a
No health insurance	79	7.9	2.56±2.9

Note:

a Relationship is statistically significant in Student’s t-test (P<0.05) (adjusted P-values obtained via FDR).

Abbreviations: FDR, false discovery rate; DDC, daily drug consumption.

Table 2 Associations between health conditions and DDC

Health condition	Na	Present (mean DDC ± SD)	Nb	Not present (mean DDC ± SD)	P-value
Diabetes	736	6.26±3.9	394	3.94±3.1	0.001708c
IGT	218	5.91±3.0	792	4.94±3.2	0.001708c
Metabolic syndrome	406	6.28±3.6	594	4.52±3.0	0.001708c
Hypertension	726	5.30±3.4	274	2.46±2.6	0.001708c
CAD	230	6.43±5.7	770	3.98±3.2	0.001708c
Atrial fibrillation	63	7.03±4.3	937	5.06±3.4	0.001708c
Heart failure	147	6.52±3.5	853	4.26±3.4	0.001708c
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	169	5.68±3.6	831	4.34±3.4	0.001708c
History of depression	177	6.96±4.1	823	4.09±3.1	0.001708c
Osteoporosis	187	5.88±3.6	813	4.30±3.4	0.001708c
CRF	65	5.63±3.5	935	4.45±3.4	0.001708c
Anemia	157	5.96±3.5	843	5.21±3.5	0.057622
Dementia	68	6.49±4.1	932	4.46±3.4	0.001708c
Handicapped	141	5.4±4.1	859	4.45±3.3	0.019839c
Trauma history	369	5.45±3.6	631	4.06±3.3	0.001708c
Stroke	108	5.86±3.7	892	4.43±3.4	0.001708c
Chronic pain	511	5.63±3.6	489	3.52±3.0	0.001708c
UI	247	6.29±4.0	753	3.74±4.7	0.001708c
Dizziness	392	5.51±3.1	608	4.86±3.3	0.041c
Falls	281	5.56±3.9	719	4.23±3.2	0.001708c
POTd	212	5.78±3.4	788	4.86±3.3	0.008483c
Daytime sleepiness	327	5.74±4.0	673	4.79±3.0	0.005857c
Sleep onset insomnia	345	5.52±3.7	655	4.86±3.2	0.037486c
Interrupted sleep	306	5.67±3.8	694	4.85±3.2	0.0164c
Restricted mobilitye	372	5.29±3.9	628	4.16±3.1	0.001708c
Gastric disturbances	416	5.85±3.6	584	3.73±3.2	0.001708c

Notes:

a Number of patients who have the related clinical condition;

b number of patients who do not have the related clinical condition;

c relationship is statistically significant in Student’s t-test (P<0.05) (adjusted P-values obtained via FDR);

d heart rate increase of 30 beats per minute (bpm) or more, or over 120 bpm, within the first 10 minutes of standing, in the absence of orthostatic hypotension;⁶⁵

e according to TUG test.¹²

Abbreviations: CAD, coronary artery disease; CRF, chronic renal failure; DDC, daily drug consumption; FDR, false discovery rate; IGT, impaired glucose tolerance; POT, postural orthostatic tachycardia; TUG, Timed Up and Go; UI, urinary incontinence.

Table 3 Correlations between continuous variables and DDC

Variable	DDC
	Correlation coefficient (r)	P-value
Age	0.135a	0.000
BMI	0.145a	0.001708
WC	0.148a	0.001708
Education (years)	0.072	0.065816
Income	0.078	0.077795
CD test scoreb	−0.046	0.299
ADL score	0.048	0.218325
IADL score	−0.090a	0.026091
Serum creatinine	0.143a	0.004731
MMSE scorec	0.086a	0.034971
TB score	−0.130a	0.004731
TG score	−0.125a	0.005857
GDS score	0.133a	0.001708
NLR	0.119a	0.024344
Number of chronic diseasesd	0.538a	0.000

Notes:

a Relationship is statistically significant in Pearson’s correlation (P<0.05) (adjusted P-values obtained via FDR);

b the illiterate subjects were unable to gain >1 point in the CD test;

c relationship is inverse;

d according to Alwan:⁶⁶ Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases 2010.

Abbreviations: ADL, Activities of Daily Living; BMI, body mass index; CD, Clock Drawing; DDC, daily drug consumption; FDR, false discovery rate; GDS, Geriatric Depression Scale; IADL, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living; MMSE, Mini Mental State Examination; NLR, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio; TB, Tinetti Balance; TG, Tinetti Gait.

Table 4 Risk factors for higher DDC after regressions

Variable	Unstandardized coefficients		P-value	95% confidence interval
	B	Standard error		Lower	Upper
Constant	0.96	0.66	0.15	−0.342	2.257
Metabolic syndrome	1.45	0.39	<0.0001	0.677	2.217
Chronic pain	0.84	0.41	0.043	0.028	1.649
UI	0.99	0.41	0.016	0.186	1.786
Creatinine	1.08	0.37	0.004	0.351	1.817
Geriatric depression scale	0.07	0.03	0.009	0.017	0.120
Gastric disturbances	0.95	0.38	0.012	0.206	1.688
NLR	0.327	0.122	0.008	0.087	0.568

Note: Statistically significant in backward stepwise linear regressions (P<0.05).

Abbreviations: DDC, daily drug consumption; NLR, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio; UI, urinary incontinence.

GrubbBPPostural tachycardia syndromeCirculation2008117212814281718506020

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PodsiadloDRichardsonSThe timed “Up & Go”: a test of basic functional mobility for frail elderly personsJ Am Geriatr Soc19913921421481991946

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AlwanAGlobal Status Report on Noncommunicable DiseasesGenevaWorld Health Organization2010

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