Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35854209›Full record

SynthesisBMC geriatrics2022

Prevalence and factors associated with polypharmacy: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

Mahin Delara, Lauren Murray, Behnaz Jafari, Anees Bahji, Zahra Goodarzi, Julia Kirkham, Mohammad Chowdhury, Dallas P Seitz

Erratum issuedAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC geriatrics, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 187 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
187citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

187 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  14. Effect of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications on physical functional decline among older adults with advanced cancer receiving systemic treatment.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
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127 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Mahin DelaraDepartment of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Providence Care-Mental Health Services, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Lauren MurrayDepartment of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Providence Care-Mental Health Services, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Behnaz JafariCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Room 2919 Health Sciences Centre, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Anees BahjiCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Room 2919 Health Sciences Centre, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Zahra GoodarziCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Room 2919 Health Sciences Centre, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Julia KirkhamCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Room 2919 Health Sciences Centre, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Mohammad ChowdhuryDepartment of Psychiatry, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Dallas P SeitzCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Room 2919 Health Sciences Centre, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada. dallas.seitz@ucalgary.ca.

Funding

Mentoring the next generation of addiction clinician scientists while responding to the opioid epidemicR25DA037756 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA · PI FAIRBAIRN, NADIA · 2014 to 2023
$3.6M
NIDA NIH HHS R25 DA037756
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPolypharmacy is commonly associated with adverse health outcomes. There are currently no meta-analyses of the prevalence of polypharmacy or factors associated with polypharmacy. We aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of polypharmacy and factors associated with polypharmacy in a systematic review and meta-analysis.

methodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies with no restrictions on date. We included observational studies that reported on the prevalence of polypharmacy among individuals over age 19. Two reviewers extracted study characteristics including polypharmacy definitions, study design, setting, geography, and participant demographics. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scales. The main outcome was the prevalence of polypharmacy and factors associated with polypharmacy prevalence. The pooled prevalence estimates of polypharmacy with 95% confidence intervals were determined using random effects meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses were undertaken to evaluate factors associated with polypharmacy such as polypharmacy definitions, study setting, study design and geography. Meta-regression was conducted to assess the associations between polypharmacy prevalence and study year.

results106 full-text articles were identified. The pooled estimated prevalence of polypharmacy in the 54 studies reporting on polypharmacy in all medication classes was 37% (95% CI: 31-43%). Differences in polypharmacy prevalence were reported for studies using different numerical thresholds, study setting, and publication year. Sex, study geography, study design and geographical location were not associated with differences in polypharmacy prevalence. DISCUSSION: Our review highlights that polypharmacy is common particularly among older adults and those in inpatient settings. Clinicians should be aware of populations who have an increased likelihood of experiencing polypharmacy and efforts should be made to review the appropriateness of prescribed medications and occurrence of adverse effects potentially associated with polypharmacy. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians should be aware of the common occurrence of polypharmacy and undertake efforts to minimize inappropriate polypharmacy whenever possible.

Indexed as

Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsPolypharmacyAgedHumansPrevalenceResearch DesignAdministrative databaseMultiple medication prescribingPolypharmacyPopulation-based study

Identifiers

PMID35854209
PMCPMC9297624

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.