Abstract | BACKGROUND: Although the association between multimorbidity and polypharmacy has been clearly documented, no study has analyzed whether or not specific combinations of diseases influence the prescription of polypharmacy in older persons. We assessed which clusters of diseases are associated with polypharmacy in acute-care elderly in-patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was held in 38 Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards participating in the Registro Politerapie SIMI (REPOSI) study during 2008. The study sample included 1155 in-patients aged 65 years or older. Clusters of diseases, defined as two or more co-occurring specific chronic diseases, were identified using the odds ratio (OR) for the associations between pairs of diseases followed by cluster analysis. Polypharmacy was defined as the prescription of five or more different medications at hospital discharge. Logistic regression models were run to analyze the association between clusters of diseases and polypharmacy. RESULTS: CONCLUSIONS: The observed knowledge of the relationship among co-occurring diseases and polypharmacy should help to identify and monitor older in-patients at risk of polypharmacy.
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Authors | Alessandro Nobili, Alessandra Marengoni, Mauro Tettamanti, Francesco Salerno, Luca Pasina, Carlotta Franchi, Alfonso Iorio, Maura Marcucci, Salvatore Corrao, Giuseppe Licata, Pier Mannuccio Mannucci |
Journal | European journal of internal medicine
(Eur J Intern Med)
Vol. 22
Issue 6
Pg. 597-602
(Dec 2011)
ISSN: 1879-0828 [Electronic] Netherlands |
PMID | 22075287
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Copyright | Copyright © 2011 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
Topics |
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Cardiovascular Diseases
(epidemiology)
- Cluster Analysis
- Comorbidity
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Dementia
(epidemiology)
- Diabetes Mellitus
(epidemiology)
- Endocrine System Diseases
(epidemiology)
- Female
- Gastrointestinal Diseases
(epidemiology)
- Geriatrics
- Hospitalization
(statistics & numerical data)
- Humans
- Internal Medicine
- Logistic Models
- Lung Diseases
(epidemiology)
- Male
- Morbidity
- Neoplasms
(epidemiology)
- Polypharmacy
- Prevalence
- Risk Factors
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