Summary: According to a new study, hunger can suppress rival drive states such as fear, anxiety, thirst or social needs.
Source: University of Eastern Finland.
Psychotropic drug use is rather common among persons aged 90 years of more diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease compared with those who were diagnosed at younger age, concludes study conducted at University of Eastern Finland. Persons aged 90 years or more used antipsychotics 5 times and antidepressants 2.5 times more often than those without the disease in the same age group. The results were published in the Age and Ageing journal.
56% of persons aged 90 years or more with Alzheimer’s disease use psychotropic drugs whereas the same figure was 48% among younger persons with Alzheimer’s disease and 38% among those aged 90 years or more but without Alzheimer’s disease. Psychotropic drugs include antipsychotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines and related drugs which are used for anxiety and insomnia in short-term treatment. On the contrary, persons aged 90 years or more with Alzheimer’s disease used less frequently antidementia drugs (63%) when compared with younger persons with the same disease (72%).
Psychotropic drugs are related to significant risk of adverse effects among older users and for this reason, very frequent use of these drugs among the oldest persons is concerning. The need and safety of drug use should be regularly assessed.
Drug use was studied within MEDALZ study cohort within six months after the diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease in Finland. Data for 67,215 persons with Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed during 2005-2011 and comparison persons with same age, gender and region of residence without the disease were derived from Finnish nationwide registers.
Source: Heidi Taipale – University of Eastern Finland
Image Source: This NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Abstract for “Drug use in persons with and without Alzheimer’s disease aged 90 years or more” by Heidi Taipale, Marjaana Koponen, Antti Tanskanen, Anna-Maija Tolppanen2,6, Jari Tiihonen and Sirpa Hartikainen in Age and Aging. Published online June 21 2016 doi:10.1093/ageing/afw141
[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]University of Eastern Finland. “More Than 50 Percent of People Over 90 With Alzheimer’s Use Psychotropic Drugs.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 3 October 2016.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/psychotropics-alzheimers-neurology-5191/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]University of Eastern Finland. (2016, October 3). More Than 50 Percent of People Over 90 With Alzheimer’s Use Psychotropic Drugs. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved October 3, 2016 from https://neurosciencenews.com/psychotropics-alzheimers-neurology-5191/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]University of Eastern Finland. “More Than 50 Percent of People Over 90 With Alzheimer’s Use Psychotropic Drugs.” https://neurosciencenews.com/psychotropics-alzheimers-neurology-5191/ (accessed October 3, 2016).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]
Abstract
Hunger-Driven Motivational State Competition
Background increasing number of persons reach very high age but few studies have investigated their drug use patterns.
Objective to compare drug use among persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) aged ≥90 years to persons without AD with similar age and to younger persons with AD.
Design register-based data were from the MEDALZ cohort including all community-dwelling persons diagnosed with AD 2005–11 in Finland. They were identified from Special Reimbursement register. One comparison person without AD was matched with age-, gender- and region of residence. Persons with AD were divided to those aged ≥90 years (N = 3,319) and <90 years (N = 63,896) at the time of AD diagnoses. Drug use was analysed during a 6-month period after AD diagnosis. Logistic regression models were constructed to compare prevalence of drug use.
Results compared to comparison persons without AD with similar age, persons with AD aged ≥90 years were more likely to use antipsychotics (comorbidity adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.84, 95% CI 4.07–5.75; CI, confidence intervals) and antidepressants (aOR 2.45, 95% CI 2.14–2.80). In addition, persons with AD used more likely preventive drugs such as statins (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.04–1.38) and bisphosphonates (aOR 1.33, 95% CI 1.13–1.57). Compared to younger persons with AD, those aged ≥90 years were more likely to use psychotropic drugs (55.6% vs. 48.4%, aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.21–1.39), including antipsychotics (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.28–1.52) and BZDRs (aOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.25–1.45).
Conclusions the vulnerable oldest persons with AD receive a substantial burden of psychotropics.
“Drug use in persons with and without Alzheimer’s disease aged 90 years or more” by Heidi Taipale, Marjaana Koponen, Antti Tanskanen, Anna-Maija Tolppanen2,6, Jari Tiihonen and Sirpa Hartikainen in Age and Aging. Published online June 21 2016 doi:10.1093/ageing/afw141
