Observational studyBMJ open2016
Factors associated with polypharmacy and excessive polypharmacy in older people with intellectual disability differ from the general population: a cross-sectional observational nationwide study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 98 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
98 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 212 citations in OpenAlex.
- Investigating pain-related medication use and contribution to polypharmacy in adults with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review.BMC medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Impact of Polypharmacy, Drug-Related Problems, and Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Geriatric Patients and Its Implications for Bulgaria-Narrative Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Primary care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: 2018 Canadian consensus guidelines.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2018Guideline
- Anticholinergic Burden in Individuals with Down Syndrome: An Examination of Risk and Clinical Implications.Journal of personalized medicine · 2026Article
- Using Network Analysis to Understand the Associations Between Menopausal Symptoms and Mental Health in Women With Intellectual Disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID · 2026Article
- Impact of nurse-led home visits on medication management and use of medical screenings for adults with intellectual disabilities: a randomised-controlled trial.BMC nursing · 2026Article
- Risk of dementia and related neurocognitive disorders among autistic and non-autistic older adults: role of established risk factors.Age and ageing · 2026Article
- Adverse Drug Reaction-Related Hospital Admissions and Adverse Drug Events and Their Association with Short- and Long-Term Health Outcomes in Older Adults.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Structured Medication Review and Shared Decision-Making in Patients with Mild Intellectual Disabilities Who Use Psychotropic Medication.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A protocol for application of OPTIMA-ID to identify potentially inappropriate prescribing in a cohort of older adults with intellectual disability.HRB open research · 2026Article
- Medication profiles of patients undergoing dental treatment under general anesthesia or sedation in special needs dentistry.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
- Association Between Depression and Polypharmacy in Older Adults-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of general and family medicine · 2026Review
- Feasibility of Measuring Hair Glucocorticoids as a Potential Biomarker for Chronic Stress in Older Adults With Intellectual Disabilities.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR · 2025Article
- Exploring how Japanese pharmacists provide reasonable accommodations for persons with intellectual disabilities.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Adverse drug reactions and events in an Ageing PopulaTion risk Prediction (ADAPTiP) tool: the development and validation of a model for predicting adverse drug reactions and events in older patients.European geriatric medicine · 2025Article
- Polypharmacy Prevalence Among Older Adults Based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe: An Update.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- A Connection Between the Gut Microbiome and Epigenetic Modification in Age-Related Cancer: A Narrative Review.Aging and disease · 2025Review
- Comparing self-report medication data from a longitudinal study on intellectual disability and national dispensing records.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR · 2025Article
- Cognitive impairment predicts medication discrepancies in Huntington's Disease: patient self-report compared to pharmacy records.Journal of neurology · 2024Article
38 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectives(1) To evaluate the prevalence of polypharmacy (5-9 medicines) and excessive polypharmacy (10+ medicines) and (2) to determine associated demographic and clinical characteristics in an ageing population with intellectual disabilities (IDs).
designObservational cross-sectional study.
settingWave One (2009/2010) of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA).
participantsA nationally representative sample of 753 persons with ID, aged between 41 and 90 years. Participants/proxy reported medicines (prescription and over the counter) taken on a regular basis; medication data was available for 736 participants (98%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES/
interventionsParticipants were divided into those with no polypharmacy (0-4 medicines), polypharmacy (5-9 medicines) and excessive polypharmacy (10+ medicines). Medication use patterns were analysed according to demographic variables and reported chronic conditions. A multinomial logistic regression model identified factors associated with polypharmacy (5-9 medicines) and excessive polypharmacy (≥10 medicines).
resultsOverall, 90% of participants reported use of medicines. Polypharmacy was observed in 31.5% of participants and excessive polypharmacy in 20.1%. Living in a residential institution, and reporting a mental health or neurological condition were strongly associated with polypharmacy and excessive polypharmacy after adjusting for confounders, but age or gender had no significant effect.
conclusionsPolypharmacy was commonplace for older adults with ID and may be partly explained by the high prevalence of multimorbidity reported. Review of appropriateness of medication use is essential, as polypharmacy places ageing people with ID at risk of adverse effects.
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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.