Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37469336›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of MS care

Epidemiological Insights on Medication Concurrency and Polypharmacy in People With Multiple Sclerosis in Greece.

Christos Bakirtzis, Ioannis Nikolaidis, Marina-Kleopatra Boziki, Eleni Grigoriadou, Maria-Valeria Karakasi, Theodoros Moysiadis, Evangelia Kesidou, Georgios Papazisis, Nikolaos Grigoriadis

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of MS care. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 25% 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
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

9 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Christos BakirtzisFrom the Multiple Sclerosis Center, 2nd Department of Neurology (CB, IN, M-KB, EG, EK, NG), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4737-3707
Ioannis NikolaidisFrom the Multiple Sclerosis Center, 2nd Department of Neurology (CB, IN, M-KB, EG, EK, NG), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Marina-Kleopatra BozikiFrom the Multiple Sclerosis Center, 2nd Department of Neurology (CB, IN, M-KB, EG, EK, NG), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Eleni GrigoriadouFrom the Multiple Sclerosis Center, 2nd Department of Neurology (CB, IN, M-KB, EG, EK, NG), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Maria-Valeria KarakasiC' Department of Psychiatry (M-VK), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Theodoros MoysiadisThe Department of Computer Science, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus (TM).
Evangelia KesidouFrom the Multiple Sclerosis Center, 2nd Department of Neurology (CB, IN, M-KB, EG, EK, NG), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Georgios PapazisisDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology (GP), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Nikolaos GrigoriadisFrom the Multiple Sclerosis Center, 2nd Department of Neurology (CB, IN, M-KB, EG, EK, NG), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki · GRUniversity of Nicosia · CY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBesides disease-modifying therapies, various pharmacologic agents are frequently prescribed to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) for symptom treatment and for comorbid conditions. The present study aims to investigate the types and frequencies of agents prescribed to people with MS in Greece using records from the nationwide digital prescription database.

methodsPrescription records for 21,218 people (65.9% women) with MS were included in the study. The criterion for study inclusion was a minimum of 3 months of continuous prescription of an agent. Identified treatments were further examined by age group.

resultsAntispasticity agents (17.5%) and fampridine (14.5%) were the most regularly prescribed symptomatic medications. Antihypertensives (21.1%) and drugs for affective disorders, including antidepressants (36.1%) and anxiolytics (16.2%), were the most frequently prescribed medications for comorbid conditions. Antidepressants were prescribed at almost equally high rates among individuals older than 40 years. Hypertension was one of the leading comorbidities among the study sample, with rates rising significantly after age 40 years and plateauing after age 60 years. Polypharmacy was observed in 22.5% of the study sample, with a higher incidence among people with MS older than 60 years (46.98%).

conclusionsAgents prescribed for the treatment of disease symptoms and other medical conditions are expected to positively affect quality of life in people with MS. However, polypharmacy seems to be particularly high, especially in the aged population. The potential implications of polypharmacy in the disease course should further be explored.

Indexed as

comorbiditymultiple sclerosisolypharmacypharmacoepidemiologyquality of life

Identifiers

PMID37469336
PMCPMC10353693
OpenAlexW4316589547

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.