Sedative load and anticholinergic burden among older adults in Slovenia over a decade: Potential for optimization of pharmacotherapy.

Publisher: Sciendo Country of Publication: Poland NLM ID: 9303678 Publication Model: Electronic-Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1846-9558 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 13300075 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Acta Pharm Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: Warsaw, Poland : Sciendo
Original Publication: Zagreb : Croatian Pharmaceutical Society, 1992-

Cholinergic Antagonists* ; Hypnotics and Sedatives* ; Drug Utilization*/trends ; Drug Utilization*/statistics & numerical data; Humans ; Slovenia ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Databases, Factual ; Age Factors ; Prevalence

This study investigates the 10-year trend in the sedative and anticholinergic burden among older adults in Slovenia, with the aim of identifying opportunities to optimize pharmacotherapy in this population. A retrospective drug utilization analysis was conducted based on a national anonymized database of dispensed prescriptions from 2009 to 2019. The study employed the sedative load model and the anticholinergic cognitive burden scale to assess the sedative and anti cholinergic burden, respectively. The findings indicate that in 2019, 45.6 % and 40.8 % of older adults (≥ 65 years) used sedative and anticholinergic medications, respectively. A high sedative load and a clinically significant anticholinergic burden were observed in a considerable proportion of older adults (13.2 % and 11.2 %, respectively, in 2019). The age-standardized prevalence of sedative load and anti-cholinergic burden significantly decreased over the 10-year study period by 5.6 % and 1.7 %, respectively (absolute difference), while the prevalence of clinically significant anticholinergic burden remained stable. Notably, the age groups 85-89 years and above 90 years had an increase in the proportion of individuals with a clinically significant anticholinergic burden over the years. These results emphasize the need for targeted interventions, particularly in the oldest age groups, to promote safe and effective medication use among older adults.
(© 2024 Janja Jazbar Igor et al., published by Sciendo.)

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Keywords: anticholinergic burden; drug utilization study; older adults; pharmaco-therapy optimization; pharmacoepidemiology study; sedative load

0 (Cholinergic Antagonists)
0 (Hypnotics and Sedatives)

Date Created: 20240530 Date Completed: 20240530 Latest Revision: 20240530

20240531

10.2478/acph-2024-0017

38815203