Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37956162›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

The association between polypharmacy and health-related quality of life among non-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients.

Leonie Adjeroh, Todd Brothers, Khaled Shawwa, Mohammad Ikram, Mohammad A Al-Mamun

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% 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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Combination therapy as a new standard of care in diabetic and non-diabetic chronic kidney disease.Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association · 2025
    Review
  8. Article
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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 3 institutions in 1 country.

Leonie AdjerohDepartment of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-3689-454X
Todd BrothersCollege of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0003-1799-7233
Khaled ShawwaDepartment of Medicine, Section of Nephrology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America.
Mohammad IkramDepartment of Surgery, Penn State, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Mohammad A Al-MamunDepartment of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America.
West Virginia University · USPenn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center · USUniversity of Rhode Island · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectiveThe United States government spends over $85 billion annually on treating non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients with CKD are prescribed a multitude of medications to manage numerous comorbidities associated with CKD. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association between polypharmacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in non-dialysis CKD patients.

methodsThis cross-sectional study utilized data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) from 2010 through 2019. We classified polypharmacy into three groups based on the number of medication classes: ≤ 4 (minor polypharmacy), 5 through 9 (major polypharmacy), and ≥ 10 (hyperpolypharmacy). To measure HRQoL, a Physical Component Summary (PCS) and a Mental Component Summary (MCS) were obtained from the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey version 2 and Veteran's Rand 12 item. We applied multivariable ordinary least squares regression to assess the association between polypharmacy and HRQoL in non-dialysis CKD patients.

resultsA total of 649 CKD patients (weighted n = 667,989) were included. Patients with minor polypharmacy, major polypharmacy, and hyperpolypharmacy were 22.27%, 48.24%, and 29.48%, respectively. Major polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy were significantly and negatively associated with lower PCS scores when compared with minor polypharmacy [Beta = -3.12 (95% CI: -3.62, -2.62), p-value<0.001; Beta = -4.13 (95CI: -4.74, -3.52), p-value<0.001]. Similarly, major polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy were significantly and negatively associated with lower MCS scores when compared to minor polypharmacy [Beta = -0.38 (95% CI: -0.55, -0.20), p-value<0.001; Beta = -1.70 (95% CI: -2.01, -1.40), p-value<0.001]. The top 5 classes of medications used by CKD patients were antihyperlipidemic (56.31%), beta-adrenergic blockers (49.71%), antidiabetics (42.14%), analgesics (42.17%), and diuretics (39.65%).

conclusionOur study found that both major polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy were associated with lower HRQoL among non-dialysis CKD patients. This study highlights the need for further evaluation of the combination of medications taken by non-dialysis CKD patients to minimize unnecessary and inappropriate medication use.

Indexed as

Quality of LifeRenal Insufficiency, ChronicComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesHumansPolypharmacyUnited States

Identifiers

PMID37956162
PMCPMC10642842
OpenAlexW4388626932

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.