Fabrizia Lattanzio1, Graziano Onder2, Mattia Miriam La Fauci3, Stefano Volpato4, Antonio Cherubini1, Paolo Fabbietti1, Carmelinda Ruggiero5, Sabrina Garasto1, Annalisa Cozza1, Lucia Crescibene1, Assunta Tarsitano1, Andrea Corsonello6. 1. Italian National Research Center on Aging (INRCA), Ancona and Cosenza, Italy. 2. Department of Gerontology, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Gemelli University Hospital, Rome, Italy. 3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. 4. Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Internal and Cardiorespiratory Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. 5. Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy. 6. Italian National Research Center on Aging (INRCA), Ancona and Cosenza, Italy. Electronic address: a.corsonello@inrca.it.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether anticholinergic burden may predict differently 1-year mortality in older patients discharged from acute care hospitals with or without dependency in basic activities of daily living (BADL). DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Our series consisted of 807 patients aged 65 years or older consecutively discharged from 7 acute care geriatric wards throughout Italy between June 2010 and May 2011. MEASURES: Overall anticholinergic burden was assessed by the anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB) score. Dependency was rated by BADL, and dependency in at least 1 BADL was considered as a potential mediator in the analysis. The study outcome was all-cause mortality during 12-months of follow-up. RESULTS: Patients included in the study were aged 81.0 ± 7.4 years, and 438 (54.3%) were female. During the follow-up period, 177 out of 807 participants (21.9%) died. After adjusting for potential confounders, discharge ACB score = 2 or more was significantly associated with the outcome among patients with dependency in at least 1 BADL [hazard ratio (HR) 2.25 95% confidence (CI) 1.22‒4.14], but not among independent ones (HR 1.06 95% CI 0.50‒2.34). The association was confirmed among dependent patients after adjusting for the number of lost BADL at discharge (HR 2.20 95% CI 1.18‒4.04) or ACB score at 3-month follow-up (HR 2.18 95% CI 1.20‒3.98), as well as when considering ACB score as a continuous variable (HR 1.28 95% CI 1.11‒1.49). The interaction between ACB score at discharge and BADL dependency was highly significant (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: ACB score at discharge may predict mortality among older patients discharged from an acute care hospital carrying at least 1 BADL dependency. Hospital physicians should be aware that prescribing anticholinergic medications in this population may have negative prognostic implications and they should try to reduce anticholinergic burden at discharge whenever possible.
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether anticholinergic burden may predict differently 1-year mortality in older patients discharged from acute care hospitals with or without dependency in basic activities of daily living (BADL). DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Our series consisted of 807 patients aged 65 years or older consecutively discharged from 7 acute care geriatric wards throughout Italy between June 2010 and May 2011. MEASURES: Overall anticholinergic burden was assessed by the anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB) score. Dependency was rated by BADL, and dependency in at least 1 BADL was considered as a potential mediator in the analysis. The study outcome was all-cause mortality during 12-months of follow-up. RESULTS:Patients included in the study were aged 81.0 ± 7.4 years, and 438 (54.3%) were female. During the follow-up period, 177 out of 807 participants (21.9%) died. After adjusting for potential confounders, discharge ACB score = 2 or more was significantly associated with the outcome among patients with dependency in at least 1 BADL [hazard ratio (HR) 2.25 95% confidence (CI) 1.22‒4.14], but not among independent ones (HR 1.06 95% CI 0.50‒2.34). The association was confirmed among dependent patients after adjusting for the number of lost BADL at discharge (HR 2.20 95% CI 1.18‒4.04) or ACB score at 3-month follow-up (HR 2.18 95% CI 1.20‒3.98), as well as when considering ACB score as a continuous variable (HR 1.28 95% CI 1.11‒1.49). The interaction between ACB score at discharge and BADL dependency was highly significant (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: ACB score at discharge may predict mortality among older patients discharged from an acute care hospital carrying at least 1 BADL dependency. Hospital physicians should be aware that prescribing anticholinergic medications in this population may have negative prognostic implications and they should try to reduce anticholinergic burden at discharge whenever possible.
Authors: Joseph O Fadare; Abimbola Margaret Obimakinde; Felix O Aina; Ebisola J Araromi; Theophilus Adekunle Adegbuyi; Oluwatoba E Osasona; Tosin A Agbesanwa Journal: Front Pharmacol Date: 2021-01-29 Impact factor: 5.810