ABSTRACT Management of
pharmacotherapy in
elderly with
metabolic diseases is challenging and
potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are
risk factors for
drug interactions and adverse events. The exposure to PIMs in
elderly outpatients with
metabolic diseases and its relationship with
polypharmacy and other variables was investigated. PIMs prescribed to 207
elderly patients (
aged 60 to 96 years) with
metabolic diseases who attended a
University Hospital of Sao Paulo city,
Brazil, from April/2010 to January/2011, were evaluated. PIMs were detected using both 2003
Beers and 2008
STOPP criteria. The
association between PIMs and age,
gender and
polypharmacy was also examined. 2008
STOPP criteria detected more PIMs (44.4 %) than 2003
Beers criteria (16.0%, p<0.001).
Beers detected mainly PIMs
antihypertensive (
clonidine, 20.0%;
doxazosin, 10.0%) and
antidepressant (
fluoxetine, 15.0%;
amitriptyline, 10.0%) PIMs. Medicines used for cardiovascular (
aspirin, 53.7%) and
endocrine system (
glibenclamide, 21.3%) were PIMs more frequently detected by 2008
STOPP. Unlike age and
gender,
polypharmacy increased the
risk of PIMs by both 2003
Beers (OR 4.0, CI95% 1.2-13.8, p<0.031) and 2008
STOPP (OR 6.8, CI95% 3.0-15.3, p<0.001).
Beers and
STOPP criteria are important tools to evaluate the exposure to PIMs, which is strongly associated with
polypharmacy in
elderly outpatients with
metabolic diseases.