Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33827442›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2021

Polypharmacy and severe potential drug-drug interactions among older adults with cardiovascular disease in the United States.

Marwan Sheikh-Taha, Myriam Asmar

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
53citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
7.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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

53 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 101 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

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Marwan Sheikh-TahaDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon. marwantaha@yahoo.com.
Myriam AsmarDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon.
Lebanese American University · LB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPolypharmacy continues to be a topic of concern among older adults and puts patients at increased risk of potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and negative health outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of polypharmacy among older adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to identify severe potential DDIs.

methodsA retrospective chart review was conducted in a tertiary care center over a three-month period where we reviewed home medications of older adults upon hospital admission. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 65 years, history of CVD, and admission to the cardiology service. Polypharmacy was defined as 5 or more medications taken concomitantly, hyper-polypharmacy was defined as 10 or more medications taken concomitantly, and severe potential DDIs were considered to be those belonging to category D or X using Lexicomp® Drug Information Handbook. Category D interaction states that modification of therapy should be considered while category X states that the combination should be absolutely avoided.

resultsA total of 404 patients with a mean age of 76.6 ± 7.4 years were included. Patients were taking an average of 11.6 ± 4.5 medications at home and 385 (95%) received polypharmacy, 278 (69%) received hyper-polypharmacy, and 313 (77.5%) had at least one severe potential DDI. Under category D, the most common potential DDIs were drugs with additive central nervous system (CNS) depressant effect and drugs that increase the risk of QT prolongation. Under category X, the most common potential DDIs were non-selective β-blockers that may diminish the bronchodilator effect of β

conclusionsPolypharmacy, hyper-polypharmacy, and severe potential DDIs are very common in older adults with CVD. Clinicians should vigilantly review patients' drug records and adjust therapy accordingly to prevent adverse drug reactions and negative health outcomes.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesPharmaceutical PreparationsAgedAged, 80 and overDrug InteractionsHumansPolypharmacyRetrospective StudiesUnited StatesPharmaceutical PreparationsCardiovascular diseaseDrug interactionsGeriatricsPolypharmacy

Identifiers

PMID33827442
PMCPMC8028718
OpenAlexW3145939237

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.