Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39144630›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in pharmacology2024

The association between continuous polypharmacy and hospitalization, emergency department visits, and death in older adults: a nationwide large cohort study.

Jungmi Chae, Ho Jin Cho, Sang-Heon Yoon, Dong-Sook Kim

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in pharmacology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing 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

15 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Polypharmacy Thresholds that Best Predict Emergency Room Visits and Mortality in Older Adults: A Population-Based Study in Québec, Canada.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2026
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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

4 authors.

Jungmi Chae *Department of Research, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
Ho Jin Cho *Department of Research, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
Sang-Heon YoonDepartment of Research, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
Dong-Sook KimDepartment of Health Administration, Kongju National University, Gongju, Republic of Korea.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between continuous polypharmacy and hospitalization, emergency department (ED) visits, and death. Methods: This retrospective study utilized 6,443,896 patients aged between 65 and 84 years of National Health Insurance claims data from 2016 to 2018. Polypharmacy and excessive polypharmacy were defined as the concurrent use of 5 or more and 10 or more medications, respectively, for durations of both 90 days or more and 180 days or more within a 1-year observation period. The primary outcome measures included all-cause hospitalization, ED visits, and mortality. Multiple logistic regression models were used adjusting for patients' general characteristics, comorbidities, and history of hospitalization or ED visits. Results: Among 2,693,897 patients aged 65-84 years who had used medicines for 180 days or more (2,955,755 patients taking medicines for 90 days or more), the adverse outcomes were as follows: 20.5% (20.3%) experienced hospitalization, 10.9% (10.8%) visited the ED, and 1% (1%) died, respectively. In patients who exhibited polypharmacy for more than 180 days, the adjusted odds ratio of adverse outcomes was 1.32 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-1.33) for hospitalization, 1.32 (95% CI, 1.31-1.33) for ED visits, 1.63 (95% CI, 1.59-1.67) for death, and that in excessive polypharmacy patients for more than 180 days was 1.85 for hospitalization, 1.92 for ED visits, and 2.57 for death, compared to non-polypharmacy patients. Conclusion: Our results suggest that polypharmacy in older adults might lead to negative health consequences. Thus, interventions to optimize polypharmacy may need to be implemented.

Indexed as

deathelderlyemergency department visithospitalizationoutpatientspolypharmacy

Identifiers

PMID39144630
PMCPMC11322047

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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.