Sex Differences in Association Between Anti-Hypertensive Medications and Risk of COVID-19 in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
ConclusionsThe study suggested sex differences in the risk of death from COVID-19 with the use of ACEI and ARB among middle-aged and older adults. Sex differences in the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 with the use of CCB was observed as well. It is of clinical importance that clinicians adopt different CVD treatment approaches for female and male patients with COVID-19. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - August 18, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Pain and Analgesic Treatment Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Changes from 1999 to 2019
ConclusionsPain remains undertreated in the community-dwelling older population, although the use of regular prescribed analgesics increased between 1999 and 2019. The use of NSAIDs has decreased, while the use of paracetamol has increased. Daily opioid use has remained modest. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - August 13, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Anticholinergic Burden and Associated Healthcare Resource Utilization in Older Adults with Overactive Bladder
ConclusionsIn older adults with OAB, higher anticholinergic burden before initiating OAB drugs is associated with higher HRU and costs. When making treatment decisions in older adults, consideration should be given to assessing the existing anticholinergic burden and using OAB treatments that do not add to this burden. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - August 13, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Use of Hormone Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Alzheimer ’s Disease: A Systematic Review
ConclusionBoth observational and controlled clinical trials had methodological issues and discrepancies in inclusion criteria and HT protocols. These inconsistencies made it difficult to establish an association between HT and AD. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - August 3, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Management of the Older Patient with Myelodysplastic Syndrome
AbstractNo two diagnoses of myelodysplastic syndrome are genuinely alike, owing to differing and dynamic mutational topography and epigenetic aberrancy. Consequently, no two patients with myelodysplastic syndrome are identical and disease-specific and patient-specific factors are considered in formulating the optimal treatment, which includes few that are disease modifying. Age itself should not be an absolute contraindication to therapy, including intensive therapy such as allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which is the only curative therapy. However, age associates with an increased prevalence of frailty...
Source: Drugs and Aging - August 3, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Hormone Treatment and Alzheimer ’s Disease: Déjà Vu or Confused All Over Again?
(Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - August 3, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Use and Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the California Teachers Study
ConclusionThe decrease in risk of intermediate- or late-stage AMD among women who reported regular use of low-dose aspirin or specific COX-2 inhibitors suggests a possible protective role for medications with COX-2 inhibitory properties or aspirin at doses used for cardiovascular disease prevention. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - July 26, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
MediQuit, an Electronic Deprescribing Tool for Patients on Polypharmacy: Results of a Feasibility Study in German General Practice
DiscussionMediQuit assists in identifying concrete deprescribing opportunities, patient involvement, and shared decision making. The three-step deprescribing procedure is well-accepted once initial organizational efforts are overcome. After revision, further studies are needed to enhance the quality of evidence on acceptance and effectiveness. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - July 12, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Impact of Fall Risk and Direct Oral Anticoagulant Treatment on Quality-Adjusted Life-Years in Older Adults with Atrial Fibrillation: A Markov Decision Analysis
ConclusionsOlder adults with atrial fibrillation benefit from stroke protection of anticoagulants, especially direct oral anticoagulants, even if they are at high risk of falls. Clinicians should not consider fall risk as a deciding factor for withholding anticoagulation in this population of patients. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - July 8, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Safety and Tolerability of Natural and Synthetic Cannabinoids in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Open-Label Trials and Observational Studies
ConclusionsAlthough cannabinoid-based medications were generally safe and acceptable to adults aged over 50 years, these estimates are limited by the lack of a control condition and considerable heterogeneity. Nevertheless, they complement and are consistent with comparable evidence from randomised controlled trials. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - July 8, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Fibromyalgia in Older Individuals
AbstractFibromyalgia (FM) is a condition of chronic widespread pain (CWP) that can occur throughout the life cycle and is likely underrecognized in older patients. FM is associated with considerable suffering and reduction in quality of life and may occur as a unique condition, but in older patients is most likely to be associated with another medical illness. Understood mechanistically to be a sensitization of the nervous system, recently identified as nociplastic pain, FM is accepted as a valid medical illness that requires a positive diagnosis and directed treatments. The cornerstone of treatments for FM are nonpharmaco...
Source: Drugs and Aging - July 8, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
What Makes Deprescription of Psychotropic Drugs in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia so Challenging? A Qualitative Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators
ConclusionsDeprescribing psychotropic drugs used for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in nursing home residents is challenging. Resources need to be in place for deprescribing, as well as there being a focus on the positive patient-related outcomes of doing so. Managerial support, staff routines, and interprofessional collaboration are some factors facilitating the process, in addition to there being routines and systematic procedures in place allowing for operationality and a common understanding. Addressing these barriers and facilitators is necessary to ensure that deprescribing can be understood as mea...
Source: Drugs and Aging - July 7, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
A Propensity Score Matched Approach to Assess the Associations of Commonly Prescribed Medications with Fall Risk in a Large Harmonized Cohort of Older Ambulatory Persons
ConclusionMany commonly prescribed medication classes showed no associations with fall risk in a relatively healthy population of community-dwelling older persons. However, the treatment effects and risks can be heterogeneous between individuals. Therefore, focusing on identification of individuals at risk is warranted to optimize personalized falls prevention. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - July 5, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Older Adults: Increased Mortality Related to Tuberculosis Within Two Months of Treatment Initiation
ConclusionsPatients aged ≥ 75 years with pulmonary TB experienced increased mortality related to TB during treatment and more frequent adverse events than younger patients, even though PZA was often avoided among older patients. (Source: Drugs and Aging)
Source: Drugs and Aging - July 5, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Diagnosis and Management of Pain in Parkinson's Disease: A New Approach
AbstractPain is a frequent and disabling non-motor feature of Parkinson ’s disease (PD). The recently proposed PD Pain Classification System (PD-PCS) allows for an association of pain with PD to be determined before being allocated to the main pain mechanism (i.e. nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic). In this article, previous studies on treatments for pain in P D are summarized according to the pain mechanisms. A mechanistic approach to treatment is discussed. We suggest that the first step should be optimizing dopaminergic therapy before other therapy is started. When these treatments remain unsuccessful, further...
Source: Drugs and Aging - July 5, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
