Antidepressant use, depressive symptoms, and incident frailty in women aged 65 and older from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the associations between depressive symptoms, antidepressant use, and duration of use with incident frailty 3 years later in nonfrail women aged 65 and older. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS), a prospective cohort study. SETTING: WHI-OS was conducted in 40 U.S. clinical centers. PARTICIPANTS: Women aged 65 to 79, not frail at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: Antidepressant use was assessed through medication container inspection at baseline. Four groups were created according to baseline use and Burnam depression screen (range 0-1, 0.06 cutoff): antidepressant nonusers without depressive symptoms (reference group), antidepressant nonusers with depressive symptoms, antidepressant users without depressive symptoms, and antidepressant users with depressive symptoms. Frailty components included slowness or weakness, exhaustion, low physical activity, and unintended weight loss, ascertained through self-report and physical measurements at baseline and Year 3. RESULTS: Of 27,652 women at baseline, 1,350 (4.9%) were antidepressant users and 1,794 (6.5%) were categorized as depressed. At Year 3, 4,125 (14.9%) were frail. All groups had a greater risk of incident frailty than the reference group. Odds ratios (ORs) ranged from 1.73 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.41-2.12) in antidepressant users who were not depressed to 3.63 in antidepressant users who were depressed (95% CI = 2.37-5.55). All durations of use were associated with incident frailty (<1 year OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.41-2.68; 1-3 years OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.45-2.74; >3 years OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.20-2.14). CONCLUSION: In older adult women, depressive symptoms and antidepressant use were associated with frailty after 3 years of follow-up.

Self-reported changes in providers' hormone therapy prescribing and counseling practices after the Women's Health Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Prescribing and counseling practices in hormone therapy (HT) since publication of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trials have changed. Our objective was to compare changes by practice field and region. METHODS: Between December 2005 and May 2006, we mailed surveys to 938 practitioners from two large integrated health systems in the Northeastern and Northwestern United States. We received 736 responses and excluded 144 who do not prescribe/counsel about HT, leaving 592. Data included prescriber characteristics, knowledge about HT trials, and self-reported HT counseling and prescribing changes. We compared provider characteristics and HT counseling and prescribing by region and practice field (obstetrician/gynecology [OB/GYN] or primary care). RESULTS: Respondents included 79 OB/GYNs and 513 primary care providers. OB/GYNs were more likely, than primary care providers to consider themselves experts regarding the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS) and WHI trials (30.4% vs. 8.2%, p < 0.001). The majority (87%) were cautious about HT use, especially primary care providers (p < 0.01 compared to OB/GYNs). Respondents reported prescribing less oral unopposed estrogen (64%) and combination estrogen/progestin (81%) post-WHI. OB/GYNs were less likely to report decreases in oral unopposed estrogen use (p = 0.006). Use of lower-dose and transdermal products (low-dose estrogen, vaginal estrogen, estradiol vaginal ring) increased, especially by OB/GYNs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights numerous HT prescribing and counseling differences between primary care and OB/GYN providers. Reasons for these differences are unknown but may be related to self-reported WHI/HERS knowledge. HT formulations used in the WHI trials are being replaced by low-dose and alternate formulations. Studies to support this practice are needed.

The relationship between anticholinergic medications and Mini-Cog scores in older adults receiving home health care.

OBJECTIVES: To describe anticholinergic use patterns in older adult home health recipients and examine their relationship to evidence of cognitive impairment. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: A home health care agency in Eastern Washington state. PARTICIPANTS: Potential study subjects were 174 recipients of home health services between March 1, 2006, and October 1, 2006, who were 60 years of age or older and had been screened for cognitive impairment by the Mini-Cog assessment test. A random sample of 65 out of 75 patients who scored in the impaired range on the Mini-Cog and a random sample of 65 out of 99 patients who scored in the unimpaired range were included in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: prevalence of anticholinergic medication use. RESULTS: The majority of participants (80.0%) were using a medication with anticholinergic effects; however, more participants were using weak anticholinergics (66.1%) than potent agents (33.8%). After controlling for age, caregiver presence, and marital status, participants who scored as cognitively impaired on the Mini-Cog were less likely to be taking a medication with anticholinergic properties (odds ratio 0.34, 95% confidence interval 0.13-0.94). CONCLUSION: Although anticholinergic use was common in this older adult, home health population, the majority of participants were using medications with weak anticholinergic activity, as opposed to potent ones. Participants with cognitive impairment were less likely to be using any medication with anticholinergic properties.

Assessment of older adults' knowledge of and preferences for medication management tools and support systems.

BACKGROUND: A variety of strategies are available to assist older adults who have difficulties managing medications. Little is known about older adults' knowledge of or willingness to use these strategies. OBJECTIVE: To assess older adults' current use of, knowledge of, and preferences for medication management tools and supports. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a continuing care retirement community. All 152 independent-living residents were approached for participation. We developed a 6-page survey to gather information about knowledge of and preferences for medication management tools (eg, medi-sets, bubblepacks) and supports (eg, family, caregivers, regimen simplification). Information on demographic variables, medication management capacity, cognition, self-reported difficulty taking medications, and medication use were collected along with survey answers during an in-home interview. chi(2) and t-tests were used to compare knowledge and preferences by complexity and organizer use. RESULTS: Our sample consisted of 109 participants ranging in age from 73 to 98 years (average 85.9). Most of the subjects were well educated (average 15.5 y of education), 98% were white, and 80% were female. The majority (82%) were using a medication tool, mainly simple, self-filled medi-sets (62%) and easy-open vials (55%). Knowledge about, use of, and preferences for other devices, including pharmacist-filled tools and programmable devices, were low. Participants who used medication organizers rated self-filled medi-sets higher than did non-users (4.7 vs 1.6; p < 0.01). Only 18% of participants had asked a provider to simplify their medications, while 40% did not realize that they could do so. Of those who did ask a provider, 80% asked a physician. CONCLUSIONS: Educational strategies are needed to increase awareness of the pharmacist's role in facilitating medication management and the option of simplifying complex regimens. It is within the scope of pharmacy to provide this type of medication education.

Antidepressant use in nonmajor depression: secondary analysis of a program to encourage active, rewarding lives for seniors (PEARLS), a randomized controlled trial in older adults from 2000 to 2003.

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that major depressive disorder affects 0.9% of community-dwelling older adults in the United States. However, as many as 18% of older US adults reportedly suffer from depressive symptoms that do not necessarily fit the criteria for major depressive disorder (eg, dysthmia, minor depression). OBJECTIVES: The goals of this study were to describe patterns of antidepressant medication use in older adults with dysthymia or minor depression and to examine factors associated with the use of antidepressants at baseline. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis using cross-sectional data collected during a randomized controlled trial conducted from 2000 through 2003. It involved community senior service agencies and in-home visits in Seattle, Washington. Adults aged >or=60 years who had minor depression or dysthymia and were receiving services through community senior service agencies or living in senior public housing were included. Study participants were classified as users or nonusers of antidepressants. Prescription medication use in the past 2 weeks was assessed at baseline and 6 and 12 months. Medication name, dose, and directions were recorded from the medication label. Logistic regression was used to examine variables associated with baseline antidepressant use. RESULTS: A total of 138 patients (mean age, 73.00 years) were included; the majority of study participants were female (779.00%). Overall, 42.33% were nonwhite (34.3% black, 4.4% Asian, 1.5% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 0.7% Hispanic, and 1.5% other). At baseline, 36.2% of study participants (n = 50) were using antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were the most common class of antidepressants, used by 62.00%, 70.22%, and 71.11% of antidepressant users at baseline, 6, and 12 months, respectively. However, nortriptyline was the most common antidepressant at baseline, taken by 20.00% of antidepressant users. Use of other prescription medications was associated with antidepressant use at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: We found antidepressant use to be low in these relatively poor, community-dwelling, ethnically diverse older adults with dysthymia and minor depression in 2000 through 2003, with 36.22% of participants using antidepressants at baseline. Antidepressant users were more likely to be taking other prescription medications than nonusers.

Psychotropic use in community residential care facilities: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Psychotropic medication use in community residential care (CRC) facilities has been reported to be similar to that found in nursing homes before the implementation of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to (1) describe patterns of psychotropic medication use at baseline and after 1 year of follow-up in adult residents aged > or =65 years supported by Medicaid in CRC facilities, (2) describe the quality of psychotropic use, and (3) examine the relationship between psychotropic use and resident and facility characteristics. METHODS: This was a planned analysis of a larger prospective cohort study conducted in CRC facilities (assisted living, adult family home, adult residential care) in a 3-county area in the state of Washington. Interviews and state Medicaid databases were used to collect resident characteristics (demographic data, medication use, activities of daily living, self-reported health, and frequency of memory and behavior problems) and facility characteristics (type, staffing, and occupancy rates). Residents were classified as users or nonusers of psychotropic medications. Suboptimal psychotropic use was defined as use of agents with a higher side-effect profile (tertiary amine tricyclic antidepressants, long-acting benzodiazepines, and low-potency conventional antipsychotics). Logistic regression was used to examine characteristics associated with any psychotropic use at baseline. RESULTS: The typical resident was a white woman, aged 83 years, receiving 7 medications. Nearly half (46.8%) of all residents used > or =1 psychotropic medication at baseline, whereas 16.7% used multiple agents. Antidepressants accounted for the greatest amount of psychotropic use (31.2%). Suboptimal antidepressants, sedative/anxiolytics, and antipsychotics were used by 19.3%, 16.7%, and 7.3% of medication users in each class, respectively. Only age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.35-1.00), number of medications (OR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.00-1.11), and the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist score (OR = 2.03; 95% CI, 1.28-3.23) were associated with psychotropic use at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotropic medication use was high in CRC facilities (46.8%), with antidepressants being the most frequently used drugs. Use of suboptimal (19.3% of antidepressant users, 16.7% of sedative/anxiolytic users, 7.3% of antipsychotic users) and multiple psychotropics (16.7%) was low.