Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21970467›Full record

Trial reportBMC geriatrics2011

Co-morbidity and drug treatment in Alzheimer's disease. A cross sectional study of participants in the dementia study in northern Norway.

Fred Andersen, Matti Viitanen, Dag S Halvorsen, Bjørn Straume, Torgeir A Engstad

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC geriatrics, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 69 citations in OpenAlex.

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  10. Deprescribing: Reducing Harm, Enhancing Care.Rambam Maimonides medical journal · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.

Fred AndersenDepartment of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, and Department of Medicine, University Hospital, (Breivika), Tromsø, (9037), Norway. frea@online.no
Matti Viitanen
Dag S Halvorsen
Bjørn Straume
Torgeir A Engstad
University Hospital of North Norway · NOCommunity Hospital · USUiT The Arctic University of Norway · NOUniversity of Turku · FI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInappropriate medical treatment of co-morbidities in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasing concern in geriatric medicine. The objective of this study was to compare current drug use related to co-morbidity between individuals with a recent diagnosis of AD and a cognitively healthy control group in a population based clinical trial in Northern Norway.

methods

settingNine rural municipalities with 70,000 inhabitants in Northern Norway.

participantsPARTICIPANTS with and without AD recruited in general practice and by population based screening.187 participants with a recent diagnosis of AD were recruited among community dwellers. Of 791 respondents without cognitive symptoms, 500 were randomly selected and invited to further clinical and cognitive testing. The final control group consisted of 200 cognitively healthy individuals from the same municipalities. Demographic characteristics, data on medical history and current medication were included, and a physical and cognitive examination was performed. The statistical analyses were carried out by independent sample t-test, chi-square, ANCOVA and logistic regression.

resultsA co-morbidity score was significantly higher in AD participants compared to controls. The mean number of drugs was higher for AD participants compared to controls (5.1±3.6 and 2.9±2.4 respectively, p<0.001 age and gender adjusted), also when adjusted for co-morbidity. AD participants used significantly more anticholinergic, sedative and antidepressant drugs. For nursing home residents with AD the mean number of drugs was significantly higher compared to AD participants living at home (6.9±3.9 and 4.5±3.3, respectively, p<0.001).

conclusionsAD participants were treated with a significantly higher number of drugs as compared to cognitively healthy controls, even after adjustment for co-morbidity. An inappropriate use of anticholinergic and sedative drugs was identified, especially among nursing home residents with AD. The drug burden and the increased risk of adverse reactions among individuals suffering from AD need more attention from prescribing doctors.

Indexed as

PolypharmacyPopulation SurveillanceAgedAged, 80 and overAlzheimer DiseaseComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesDementiaFemaleHumansMaleNorwayPrescription DrugsPrescription Drugs

Identifiers

PMID21970467
PMCPMC3204237
OpenAlexW2144459031

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.