Kuopio 75+ study: does advanced age predict more common use of psychotropics among the elderly?

The elderly use more psychotropic medication than the general population, and its use has grown during recent decades. The aim of this study was to describe the use of psychotropics in the home-dwelling elderly aged 75 years or older in Finland. This Kuopio 75+ Study is a population-based health survey. A random sample of 700 subjects were drawn from the total population of people aged 75 years or more in January 1998. A geriatrician and a trained nurse carried out clinical examination and interview about the use of medicines for 523 home-dwelling elderly. At least one psychotropic medication was used by 37% of the sample, and 12% were using two or more psychotropics concomitantly. The psychotropic users were older, more often widowed and living alone compared to subjects without psychotropic medication. The probability of psychotropic use increased linearly with age for anxiolytics/hypnotics or antipsychotics, but not for antidepressants. Psychotropics are commonly used in the elderly, particularly among those aged 85 years or more, who are most vulnerable to adverse effects. Careful consideration is needed before prescribing psychotropics to the elderly.