PURPOSE: Due to the use of multiple drugs and prevalence of diminished cognitive function, community-dwelling elderly individuals are more likely to have drug-related issues. We examined changes in quality of life (QOL) and activities of daily living (ADL) 3 months and 6 months after reducing drug use of dementia patients who had newly begun community-dwelling care. METHODS: Prescription drug use was reduced in the intervention group, whereas the non-intervention group continued their regimen or began using additional drugs. QOL and ADL were assessed with the Japanese version of the EQ-5D and the Barthel Index, respectively. RESULTS: Subjects were 32 individuals aged ≥65 years who had begun community-dwelling between March and July 2014 and had received approval for long-term care insurance. On average, the intervention group (n = 19) stopped using 2.6 prescription drugs. After 6 months, the differences in the QOL and ADL scores in the intervention group were -0.03 ± 0.29 and 6.32 ± 18.6, respectively, while the differences in the QOL and ADL scores in the non-intervention group (n = 13) were -0.13 ± 0.29 and -2.69 ± 23.7, respectively. In the intervention group, ADL scores were significantly increased by 14.0 ± 11.1 6 months after reduced benzodiazepine use. CONCLUSIONS: QOL was maintained with reduced drug use, while ADL score was slightly increased. In addition, the reduction of benzodiazepine use significantly increased ADL. In order to reduce polypharmacy among community-dwelling elderly patients, it is necessary to create an opportunity for pharmacists to re-examine their prescriptions.
PURPOSE: Due to the use of multiple drugs and prevalence of diminished cognitive function, community-dwelling elderly individuals are more likely to have drug-related issues. We examined changes in quality of life (QOL) and activities of daily living (ADL) 3 months and 6 months after reducing drug use of dementiapatients who had newly begun community-dwelling care. METHODS: Prescription drug use was reduced in the intervention group, whereas the non-intervention group continued their regimen or began using additional drugs. QOL and ADL were assessed with the Japanese version of the EQ-5D and the Barthel Index, respectively. RESULTS: Subjects were 32 individuals aged ≥65 years who had begun community-dwelling between March and July 2014 and had received approval for long-term care insurance. On average, the intervention group (n = 19) stopped using 2.6 prescription drugs. After 6 months, the differences in the QOL and ADL scores in the intervention group were -0.03 ± 0.29 and 6.32 ± 18.6, respectively, while the differences in the QOL and ADL scores in the non-intervention group (n = 13) were -0.13 ± 0.29 and -2.69 ± 23.7, respectively. In the intervention group, ADL scores were significantly increased by 14.0 ± 11.1 6 months after reduced benzodiazepine use. CONCLUSIONS: QOL was maintained with reduced drug use, while ADL score was slightly increased. In addition, the reduction of benzodiazepine use significantly increased ADL. In order to reduce polypharmacy among community-dwelling elderly patients, it is necessary to create an opportunity for pharmacists to re-examine their prescriptions.
Authors: Jennifer A Pruskowski; Sydney Springer; Carolyn T Thorpe; Michele Klein-Fedyshin; Steven M Handler Journal: Drugs Aging Date: 2019-12 Impact factor: 3.923
Authors: Jennifer A Stoll; Molly Ranahan; Michael T Richbart; Mary K Brennan-Taylor; John S Taylor; Laura Brady; Joseph Cal; Andrew Baumgartner; Robert G Wahler; Ranjit Singh Journal: Patient Educ Couns Date: 2021-05-11
Authors: Audrey Rankin; Cathal A Cadogan; Susan M Patterson; Ngaire Kerse; Chris R Cardwell; Marie C Bradley; Cristin Ryan; Carmel Hughes Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2018-09-03
Authors: E A Bayliss; S M Shetterly; M L Drace; J Norton; A R Green; E Reeve; L A Weffald; L Wright; M L Maciejewski; O C Sheehan; J L Wolff; K S Gleason; C Kraus; M Maiyani; M Du Vall; C M Boyd Journal: Trials Date: 2020-06-18 Impact factor: 2.279