Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29596512›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

The composition of polypharmacy: A register-based study of Swedes aged 75 years and older.

Jonas W Wastesson, Angel Cedazo Minguez, Johan Fastbom, Silvia Maioli, Kristina Johnell

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
5.8field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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

32 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 86 citations in OpenAlex.

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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 2 institutions in 1 country.

Jonas W WastessonAging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-7601-4319
Angel Cedazo MinguezDepartment of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
Johan FastbomAging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Silvia MaioliDepartment of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
Kristina JohnellAging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Stockholm University · SEKarolinska Institutet · SE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPolypharmacy is common among older adults. However, little is known about the composition of polypharmacy: which are the most frequently used drugs, and how much do these drugs contribute to the overall prevalence of polypharmacy.

methodsA total of 822,619 Swedes aged ≥75 years was identified from the Total Population Register. Through record-linkage with the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and the Social Services Register we could analyze concurrent drug use in the entire population (both individuals living in the community and institution) on the 31 December 2013.

resultsThe prevalence of polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) was 45%. The most frequently used drugs were cardiovascular drugs, analgesics, and psychotropics. By excluding the ten most frequently used drug classes or compounds, the prevalence of polypharmacy was reduced by 69% and 51% respectively. The majority of the users of either one of the 10 most frequently used drugs concurrently used at least 4 other drug classes (66%-85%).

conclusionAlmost half of the individuals aged ≥75 years are exposed to polypharmacy in Sweden. A handful of drugs make a large contribution to the overall prevalence of polypharmacy and the majority of drugs prescribed to persons aged ≥75 years are used in combination with other drugs. This highlights the high use of drugs, and the need to consider other concurrent drug treatments when prescribing for older adults.

Indexed as

PolypharmacyRegistriesAgedAged, 80 and overDrug PrescriptionsFemaleHumansMaleSweden

Identifiers

PMID29596512
PMCPMC5875802
OpenAlexW2795256121

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.