Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37272899›Full record

ArticleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2023

Medication misuse and overuse in community-dwelling persons with dementia.

W James Deardorff, Bocheng Jing, Matthew E Growdon, Kristine Yaffe, W John Boscardin, Kenneth S Boockvar, Michael A Steinman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–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

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trajectories of Medication Use Prior to Death in US Nursing Home Residents With Dementia.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Observational
  7. Impact of Hospitalizations on Problematic Medication Use Among Community-Dwelling Persons With Dementia.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2024
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
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

7 authors.

W James DeardorffDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7947-3008
Bocheng JingDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Matthew E GrowdonDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5997-4406
Kristine YaffeSan Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
W John BoscardinDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Kenneth S BoockvarDivision of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1165-5558
Michael A SteinmanDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9564-9480

Funding

VARC CoreP30AG044281 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Louise C. Walter · 2013 to 2026
$19.9M
Unnecessary and Harmful Medication Use in Older Adults with DementiaP01AG066605 · NIA · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · PI KENNETH E. COVINSKY, R. Sean Morrison · 2020 to 2026
$17.7M
RESEARCH TRAINING IN GERIATRIC MEDICINET32AG000212 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Alexander Keliimoeanu Smith · 1991 to 2026
$7.7M
Population Based Research for Alzheimer's Innovation (POP BRAIN)R35AG071916 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI YAFFE, KRISTINE · 2021 to 2024
$3.8M
UCSF Learning Health System K12 Career Development ProgramK12HS026383 · AHRQ · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI GONZALES, RALPH, SARKAR, URMIMALA · 2018 to 2022
$3.6M
Prescribing cascades in older adults with and without dementiaK24AG049057 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI STEINMAN, MICHAEL A. · 2015 to 2025
$1.8M
Medication risks and challenges among people with dementia who live aloneR03AG078804 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI GROWDON, MATTHEW EVAN · 2022 to 2023
$323k
AHRQ HHS K12 HS026383NIA NIH HHS K24 AG049057NIA NIH HHS K24AG049057NIA NIH HHS L30 AG074160NIA NIH HHS P01 AG066605NIA NIH HHS P30 AG044281NIA NIH HHS R03 AG078804NIA NIH HHS R03AG078804NIA NIH HHS R35 AG071916NIA NIH HHS R35AG071916NIA NIH HHS T32 AG000212
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPersons with dementia (PWD) have high rates of polypharmacy. While previous studies have examined specific types of problematic medication use in PWD, we sought to characterize a broad spectrum of medication misuse and overuse among community-dwelling PWD.

methodsWe included community-dwelling adults aged ≥66 in the Health and Retirement Study from 2008 to 2018 linked to Medicare and classified as having dementia using a validated algorithm. Medication usage was ascertained over the 1-year prior to an HRS interview date. Potentially problematic medications were identified by: (1) medication overuse including over-aggressive treatment of diabetes/hypertension (e.g., insulin/sulfonylurea with hemoglobin A1c < 7.5%) and medications inappropriate near end of life based on STOPPFrail and (2) medication misuse including medications that negatively affect cognition and medications from 2019 Beers and STOPP Version 2 criteria. To contextualize, we compared medication use to people without dementia through a propensity-matched cohort by age, sex, comorbidities, and interview year. We applied survey weights to make our results nationally representative.

resultsAmong 1441 PWD, median age was 84 (interquartile range = 78-89), 67% female, and 14% Black. Overall, 73% of PWD were prescribed ≥1 potentially problematic medication with a mean of 2.09 per individual in the prior year. This was notable across several domains, including 41% prescribed ≥1 medication that negatively affects cognition. Frequently problematic medications included proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, antihypertensives, and antidiabetic agents. Problematic medication use was higher among PWD compared to those without dementia with 73% versus 67% prescribed ≥1 problematic medication (p = 0.002) and mean of 2.09 versus 1.62 (p < 0.001), respectively.

conclusionCommunity-dwelling PWD frequently receive problematic medications across multiple domains and at higher frequencies compared to those without dementia. Deprescribing efforts for PWD should focus not only on potentially harmful central nervous system-active medications but also on other classes such as PPIs and NSAIDs.

Indexed as

DementiaPrescription Drug MisuseAgedAged, 80 and overAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalFemaleHumansInappropriate PrescribingIndependent LivingMaleMedicarePolypharmacyPotentially Inappropriate Medication ListUnited StatesAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidalcognitive impairmentdementiamedication overusepolypharmacypotentially inappropriate medication

Identifiers

PMID37272899
PMCPMC10592653

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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.