Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39361166›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of clinical pharmacy2025

Association of polypharmacy with clinical outcomes and healthcare utilization in older adults with cardiometabolic diseases: a retrospective cohort study.

Su Su, Xuelu Zhu, Shiqi Wu, Wenyao Ma, Suying Yan, Lan Zhang

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Article in International journal of clinical pharmacy, 2025. 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 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Su Su *Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, 100053, China.
Xuelu Zhu *Clinical Research Institute, Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Shiqi WuDepartment of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, 100053, China.
Wenyao MaClinical Research Institute, Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Suying YanDepartment of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, 100053, China.
Lan ZhangDepartment of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, 100053, China. xwzhanglan@163.com.

Funding

Beijing Municipal Health Commission Funded Project 11000022T000000444688Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Adminitrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park D181100000218002Capital Fund for Health Improvement and Research 2022-2Z-20113Capital Medical University Undergraduate Research and Innovation Program XSKY2024439Drug Safety Research Project by the Drug related Disease Research Committee of Chinese Pharmacological Society ADR2024MS14Special research project on monitoring and evaluation of the use of key clinical drugs by the committee for drug evaluation of Chinese research hospital association Y2024FH-YWPJ02
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLimited knowledge exists on the association between polypharmacy among older patients diagnosed with cardiometabolic diseases and the risk of clinical outcomes and healthcare utilization.

aimThis study aimed to estimate the impact of polypharmacy on clinical outcomes and healthcare utilization in older adults with cardiometabolic diseases.

methodA retrospective cohort analysis was performed using data from the Beijing Municipal Medical Insurance Database. The study focused on polypharmacy prescribing patterns in community-dwelling adults 65 years and older with cardiometabolic diseases. Polypharmacy was defined as the use of five or more medications on the index date. The primary outcome included clinical outcomes, including hospitalizations and emergency department visits. The secondary outcome focuses on hospital utilization, specifically medication costs and length of stay.

resultsThe study included a cohort of 405,608 patients. Among these, the most frequently used drug classes in the polypharmacy and non-polypharmacy groups were HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and dihydropyridines, respectively. After adjustment for covariates, polypharmacy was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95-1.26, p = 0.23) or ED visits (OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.97-1.68, p = 0.08). Similarly, no significant association was found with an increase in inpatient medication costs ($2,620.5, 95% CI $2387.3-$2894.3, p = 0.97) or length of stay (3.98 days, 95% CI 3.68-4.30 days, p = 0.79). However, polypharmacy was associated with higher medication costs in outpatient settings ($73.07, 95% CI $72-$74, p < 0.05) and ED visits ($51.2, 95% CI $44.5-$59.1, p < 0.05).

conclusionAlthough polypharmacy is associated with increased healthcare costs in outpatient settings and ED visits, it does not significantly increase the risk of hospitalization or ED visits when properly managed.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesMetabolic DiseasesPatient Acceptance of Health CarePolypharmacyAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHospitalizationHumansLength of StayMaleRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeCardiometabolic diseaseClinical outcomesHealthcare utilizationPolypharmacy

Identifiers

PMID39361166

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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.