Cardiovascular risk associated with changes in anticholinergic load on four different scales: a registry-based cohort study of geriatric outpatients.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that anticholinergic medications are associated with cardiovascular disease. Little is known about how discontinuation of anticholinergic medication affects this association. We investigated how baseline anticholinergic load and change in anticholinergic load associates with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) on four different scales. METHODS: We included all geriatric outpatients aged 65 and older in Denmark between January 2011 and December 2018. Data were sourced from Danish national registries. Anticholinergic drug exposure was assessed at first contact to the outpatient clinic (baseline) and changes were assessed at 180 days after outpatient contact. Anticholinergic scales were the CRIDECO Anticholinergic Load Scale, Anticholinergic Drugs Scale, Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden and a scale by the Danish Institute of Rational Pharmacotherapy. Multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate the 1- and 5-year risk of MACE by baseline anticholinergic load and changes in anticholinergic load after 180 days. RESULTS: We included a total of 64 378 patients in the analysis of baseline anticholinergic load and 54 010 patients remained after 180 days for inclusion in the analysis of change in anticholinergic load. At baseline the mean age was 81.7 year (SD 7.5) and 68% were women. Higher level of anticholinergic load on any scale associated with greater risk of MACE in a dose response pattern. There were no association between reduction in anticholinergic load and risk of MACE. CONCLUSION: While anticholinergic load at baseline was associated with MACE, reducing anticholinergic load did not lower the risk of MACE indicating the association may not be causal.

The predictive value of anticholinergic drug exposure and the outcome of pneumonia: a Danish database study.

INTRODUCTION: Older adults are susceptible to anticholinergic effects. Dysphagia and pneumonia are associated with anticholinergic usage, though a definitive causative relationship has not been established. There is no effective way to predict the prognosis of older adults with pneumonia; therefore, this study investigates the predictive value of anticholinergic burden. METHODS: Patients aged 65 years and above admitted for community-acquired pneumonia from 2011 to 2018 in Denmark were included through Danish registries. We calculated anticholinergic drug exposure using the CRIDECO Anticholinergic Load Scale (CALS). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and other outcomes included intensive care unit admission, ventilator usage, length of stay, 30-day/90-day/1-year mortality, institutionalisation, home care utilisation and readmission. RESULTS: 186,735 patients were included in the in-hospital outcome analyses, 165,181 in the readmission analysis, 150,791 in the institutionalisation analysis, and 95,197 and 73,461 patients in the home care analysis at follow-up. Higher CALS score was associated with higher in-hospital mortality, with a mean risk increasing from 9.9% (CALS 0) to 16.4% (CALS >10), though the risk plateaued above a CALS score of 8. A higher CALS score was also associated with greater mortality after discharge, more home health care, more institutionalizations and higher readmission rates. CONCLUSIONS: High anticholinergic burden levels were associated with poor patient outcomes including short-/long-term mortality, dependence and readmission. It may be useful to calculate the CALS score on admission of older patients with pneumonia to predict their prognosis. This also highlights the importance of avoiding the use of drugs with a high anticholinergic burden in older patients.

Impact of postoperative intravenous iron therapy on postoperative infections in older patients with severe anaemia after hip fracture surgery.

BACKGROUND: Anaemia is common following hip fracture in ortho-geriatric patients and is associated with postoperative infections.. This study investigated whether intravenous iron supplements reduced the rate of postoperative infections within 30 days postoperatively in older adults after hip fracture surgery. METHODS: This observational study included 198 ortho-geriatric patients July 2018-May 2020. In May 2019 a local guideline was implemented and recommended II therapy on the 3rd postoperative day if haemoglobin concentration was < 6.5 mmol/L after hip fracture surgery. RESULTS: The patients were divided into four treatment groups: blood transfusion (n = 44), IV iron (n = 69), blood transfusion + IV iron (n = 35) and no treatment (n = 50). The number of patients who had an infection within 30 days was similar in the two time periods (38.8% before vs. 38.9% after systematic I.V. iron supplementation, P = 1.00) and no significant difference according to risk of infection was found between treatment groups. CONCLUSION: This study documents no effect of intravenous iron supplements on postoperative infections in older adults after hip fracture surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered with the Danish Data Protection Authority (2008-58-0028) the 2th of September 2019.

Association between intravenous iron therapy and short-term mortality risk in older patients undergoing hip fracture surgery: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is common among ortho-geriatric hip fracture patients and is associated with prolonged recovery and increased postoperative mortality rate. Intravenous iron seems to increase hemoglobin recovery and reduce the mortality rate in patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries. This study investigated the association between short-term mortality risk and intravenous iron therapy in older patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. METHODS: This observational study included 210 patients undergoing hip fracture surgery from July 2018 to May 2020. These 210 patients were alive and had a hemoglobin ≤ 6.5 mmol/L on the 3rd postoperative day. In May 2019, a local intravenous iron therapy protocol was implemented and recommended intravenous iron (Monofer©) if hemoglobin on the 3rd postoperative day was ≤ 6.5 mmol/L. According to the treatment of postoperative anemia between the 1st and 3rd day post-surgery, the patients were divided into four groups: no treatment (n=52), blood transfusion (n=38), IV Monofer (n=80), and blood transfusion and IV Monofer (n=40). Primary outcome was 30-day mortality post-surgery. The secondary outcome was the impact on hemoglobin level 14-30 days postoperatively. Multivariable Cox regression was used to estimate the 30-day mortality standardized for covariates. RESULTS: Of 210 patients, 17 (8.1%) died within 30 days after surgery. There was a significantly lower mortality among the patients who received IV Monofer compared to those who received no treatment (HR 0.17, 95% CI [0.03-0.93], P = 0.041). Among the 86 patients with available hemoglobin measurements within 14 to 30 days post-surgery, there was no significant difference in hemoglobin level between the various treatment groups (mean 6.6 mmol/L, P = 0.1165). CONCLUSION: IV Monofer on the 3rd postoperative day in older hip fracture patients seemed to reduce 30-day mortality compared with no treatment. No significant differences in hemoglobin levels between 14 and 30 days post-surgery across treatment groups were found, although this was assessed in a subset of patients with available hemoglobin levels warranting further study.