Lynn Zhu1, Paula A Rochon1,2,3,4, Andrea Gruneir1,4,5, Wei Wu1, Vasily Giannakeas1,4, Peter C Austin3,4, Nathan M Stall1,2,3, Lisa McCarthy1,6,7, Amanda Alberga4, Nathan Herrmann8, Sudeep S Gill4,9, Susan E Bronskill10,11,12. 1. Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, 76 Grenville Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 1B2, Canada. 2. Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Room 2109, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada. 3. Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 4th Floor, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada. 4. ICES, G1 06, G-Wing, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada. 5. Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, 6-10 University Terrace, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2T4, Canada. 6. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3M2, Canada. 7. Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada. 8. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 8th Floor, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada. 9. Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Etherington Hall, Rooms 3032-3043, 94 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada. 10. Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, 76 Grenville Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 1B2, Canada. susan.bronskill@ices.on.ca. 11. Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 4th Floor, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada. susan.bronskill@ices.on.ca. 12. ICES, G1 06, G-Wing, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada. susan.bronskill@ices.on.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) are one of only two drug therapies available to manage cognitive decline in dementia. Given sex-specific differences in medication access and effects, it is important to understand how ChEIs are used by women and men. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to provide contemporary sex-stratified evidence on patterns of ChEI use by community-dwelling older adults with dementia to inform opportunities to optimize drug prescribing. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study examining ChEI use in older adults with dementia in Ontario, Canada. We identified all community-dwelling individuals aged 66 years and older with a pre-existing diagnosis of dementia as of 1 April, 2016. We examined the prevalence of ChEI use among women and men separately, and explored the association between ChEI use and age, sex, income status, geographic location of residence, use of palliative care services, comorbidity, and polypharmacy. Concurrent use of drugs known to impair cognition (including antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and medications with strong anticholinergic properties) was separately assessed among women and men using multivariable analyses and prevalence risk ratios. RESULTS: Of 74,799 women and 52,231 men living with dementia in the community, nearly 30% currently were using a ChEI (29.3% women, 28.6% men). Close to 70% of users were receiving the target therapeutic dose. Compared to men, women were less often taking the target therapeutic dose (67.8% women vs. 71.6% men, p < 0.001). Over 20% of users also were using drugs known to impair cognition, while being treated for cognitive decline using ChEIs. Compared to men, women were more often concurrently using drugs known to impair cognition (23.9% women vs. 21.8% men, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first studies of ChEI use to account for important sex differences. The results remind clinicians and researchers that patterns of ChEI therapy use differ by sex, as women were less likely to receive target therapeutic doses and more vulnerable to potentially problematic polypharmacy than men.
BACKGROUND:Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) are one of only two drug therapies available to manage cognitive decline in dementia. Given sex-specific differences in medication access and effects, it is important to understand how ChEIs are used by women and men. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to provide contemporary sex-stratified evidence on patterns of ChEI use by community-dwelling older adults with dementia to inform opportunities to optimize drug prescribing. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study examining ChEI use in older adults with dementia in Ontario, Canada. We identified all community-dwelling individuals aged 66 years and older with a pre-existing diagnosis of dementia as of 1 April, 2016. We examined the prevalence of ChEI use among women and men separately, and explored the association between ChEI use and age, sex, income status, geographic location of residence, use of palliative care services, comorbidity, and polypharmacy. Concurrent use of drugs known to impair cognition (including antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and medications with strong anticholinergic properties) was separately assessed among women and men using multivariable analyses and prevalence risk ratios. RESULTS: Of 74,799 women and 52,231 men living with dementia in the community, nearly 30% currently were using a ChEI (29.3% women, 28.6% men). Close to 70% of users were receiving the target therapeutic dose. Compared to men, women were less often taking the target therapeutic dose (67.8% women vs. 71.6% men, p < 0.001). Over 20% of users also were using drugs known to impair cognition, while being treated for cognitive decline using ChEIs. Compared to men, women were more often concurrently using drugs known to impair cognition (23.9% women vs. 21.8% men, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first studies of ChEI use to account for important sex differences. The results remind clinicians and researchers that patterns of ChEI therapy use differ by sex, as women were less likely to receive target therapeutic doses and more vulnerable to potentially problematic polypharmacy than men.
Authors: David B Hogan; Peter Bailey; Sandra Black; Anne Carswell; Howard Chertkow; Barry Clarke; Carole Cohen; John D Fisk; Dorothy Forbes; Malcolm Man-Son-Hing; Krista Lanctôt; Debra Morgan; Lilian Thorpe Journal: CMAJ Date: 2008-10-07 Impact factor: 8.262
Authors: Laura C Maclagan; Susan E Bronskill; Michael A Campitelli; Shenzhen Yao; Christoffer Dharma; David B Hogan; Nathan Herrmann; Joseph E Amuah; Colleen J Maxwell Journal: Can J Psychiatry Date: 2020-04-10 Impact factor: 4.356
Authors: Franck Mauvais-Jarvis; Noel Bairey Merz; Peter J Barnes; Roberta D Brinton; Juan-Jesus Carrero; Dawn L DeMeo; Geert J De Vries; C Neill Epperson; Ramaswamy Govindan; Sabra L Klein; Amedeo Lonardo; Pauline M Maki; Louise D McCullough; Vera Regitz-Zagrosek; Judith G Regensteiner; Joshua B Rubin; Kathryn Sandberg; Ayako Suzuki Journal: Lancet Date: 2020-08-22 Impact factor: 79.321