Cognitive Impairment and Medication Appropriateness. Abstract, Executive Summaryand Final Report

摘要

Using data from the longitudinal Duke Established Populations for EpidemiologicalStudies of the Elderly (EPESE), the authors examined whether drug use patterns in community-dwelling elderly differ by cognitive status. They found that cognitively impaired subjects (inlcuding those who are demented) are less likely to use over-the-counter medications and analgesics than cognitively intact community dwelling elderly. Using the same database and a prospective population-based cohort design, the authors also examined the risk of cognitive impairment in elders associated with the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and benzodiazephines. The authors found no compelling evidence to suggest that NSAID use is associated with either deterioration or improvement in level of cognitive function among community dwelling elderly. However, the authors did find that current use of bensodiazepines was associated with memory impairment, with use of higher doses of benzodiazepines associated with increasingly worsened memory function. These study findings are significant because they are the first to describe medication use by cognitive status and address the risk of cognitive impairment associated with the use of specific medication classes and in a representative sample of community dwelling elders. Within 27 months, the authors had 4 abstracts and 2 manuscripts accepted, and 3 additional manuscripts are in active preparation.