Health Disparities of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Texas, March-July 2020.

OBJECTIVES: Although disparities in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevalence are known, knowledge of the recent surge of COVID-19 in Texas and factors affecting fatality rates is limited. Understanding the health disparities associated with COVID-19 can help healthcare professionals determine the populations that are most in need of COVID-19 preventive care and treatment. The aim of this study was to assess COVID-19-related case and mortality rates. METHODS: Our cross-sectional analysis used Texas Department of State Health Services COVID-19 case surveillance counts. Case, hospitalization, and mortality counts were obtained from March to July 2020. RESULTS: From March to July 2020, there were 420,397 COVID-19-related cases and 6954 deaths in Texas. There were 3277 new cases and 104 deaths in March, and 261,876 new cases and 3660 deaths in July. The number of new COVID-19 cases was the highest from March to April (relative risk 1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.76-1.78). Although the death rate in June was a 30% increase over the rate in May, death rates nearly tripled by the end of July, for a total of 3660 deaths. Of the 3958 deaths, demographic data were available for 753 deaths. Of these, 440 were male, 16 Asian, 95 Black, 221 Hispanic, 325 White, and 96 were "Other" or "Unknown." Males were associated with a slightly higher chance of acquiring COVID-19 than females (odds ratio [OR] 1.11, 95% CI 1.09-1.14) and nearly a 29% higher chance of dying of COVID-19 compared with females (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.11-1.49). Bivariate analysis revealed that the probability of acquiring COVID-19 was 12% higher in older adults compared with individuals younger than 65 years old (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.08-1.16), and older adults had an 18.8 times higher risk of death when compared with the rate of younger individuals (OR 18.79, 95% CI 15.93-22.15). Hispanics and Blacks were 70% and 48%, respectively, more likely to contract COVID-19 than Whites. All races had lower significant chance of death when compared with Whites. At the end of July, there was a total of 430,485 Texas COVID-19 cases and 6387 fatalities (8.8% of all cases and 4% of all deaths in the United States.). Case fatality ratios were the highest in older adults. As we continued to observe data, in contrast to previous study time points, we found that Asians and Hispanics had no significant difference in COVID mortality rates and were comparable in terms of mortality odds and death case ratios when compared with Whites. CONCLUSIONS: This time period represents the highest COVID-19 surge time in Texas. Although our data consist of a short time period of population-level data in an ongoing pandemic and are limited by information reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services, older age, male sex, Hispanics, and Blacks are currently associated with higher infection rates, whereas older age, male sex, and Whites are associated with higher mortality rates. Clinicians and decision makers should be aware of the COVID-19 health disparities and risk factors for mortality to better promote targeted interventions and allocate resources accordingly.

Accurate Medication Adherence Measurement Using Administrative Data for Frequently Hospitalized Patients.

Background: Pharmacy administrative claims data remain an accessible and efficient source to measure medication adherence for frequently hospitalized patient populations that are systematically excluded from the landmark drug trials. Published pharmacotherapy studies use medication possession ratio (MPR) and proportion of days covered (PDC) to calculate medication adherence and usually fail to incorporate hospitalization and prescription overlap/gap from claims data. To make the cacophony of adherence measures clearer, this study created a refined hospital-adjusted algorithm to capture pharmacotherapy adherence among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods: The United States Renal Data System (USRDS) registry of ESRD was used to determine prescription-filling patterns of those receiving new prescriptions for oral P2Y12 inhibitors (P2Y12-I) between 2011 and 2015. P2Y12-I-naïve patients were followed until death, kidney transplantation, discontinuing medications, or loss to follow-up. After flagging/censoring key variables, the algorithm adjusted for hospital length of stay (LOS) and medication overlap. Hospital-adjusted medication adherence (HA-PDC) was calculated and compared with traditional MPR and PDC methods. Analyses were performed with SAS software. Results: Hospitalization occurred for 78% of the cohort (N = 46 514). The median LOS was 12 (interquartile range [IQR] = 2-34) days. MPR and PDC were 61% (IQR = 29%-94%) and 59% (IQR = 31%-93%), respectively. After applying adjustments for overlapping coverage days and hospital stays independently, HA-PDC adherence values changed in 41% and 52.7% of the cohort, respectively. When adjustments for overlap and hospital stay were made concurrently, HA-PDC adherence values changed in 68% of the cohort by 5.8% (HA-PDC median = 0.68, IQR = 0.31-0.93). HA-PDC declined over time (3M-6M-9M-12M). Nearly 48% of the cohort had a ≥30 days refill gap in the first 3 months, and this increased over time (P < .0001). Conclusions: Refill gaps should be investigated carefully to capture accurate pharmacotherapy adherence. HA-PDC measures increased adherence substantially when adjustments for hospital stay and medication refill overlaps are made. Furthermore, if hospitalizations were ignored for medications that are included in Medicare quality measures, such as Medicare STAR program, the apparent reduction in adherence might be associated with lower quality and health plan reimbursement.

Motivational Interviewing to Encourage Quit Attempts Among Smokers Not Ready to Quit: A Trial-Based Economic Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This study used data from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of motivational interviewing (MI) relative to health education (HE) and brief advice (BA) to encourage quit attempts and cessation in order to determine their relative cost-effectiveness. AIMS AND METHODS: Urban community residents (n = 255) with low desire to quit smoking were randomized to MI, HE, or BA which differed in communication style and/or number of treatment sessions. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were used to compare the intensive interventions (MI and HE) to BA for facilitating quit attempts and smoking cessation. Costs were calculated from the perspective of an agency that might engage in program delivery. Sensitivity analysis examined different assumptions for MI training and pharmacotherapy costs. RESULTS: Total intervention delivery time costs per participant for MI, HE, and BA were $46.63, $42.87, and $2.4, respectively. Cost-effectiveness ratios per quit attempt at 24 weeks were $380 for MI, $272 for HE, and $209 for BA. The cost per additional quit attempt for MI and HE relative to BA was $508 and $301, respectively. The cost per additional quit for MI and HE relative to BA was $2030 and $752, respectively. Four separate sensitivity analyses conducted in our study did not change the conclusion the HE had a lower Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio for both quit attempts and cessation. CONCLUSIONS: HE was the most cost-effective of the three types of smoking cessation induction therapies and therefore may be preferable for smokers who are less motivated to quit. Providing valuable cost information in choosing different clinical methods for motivating smokers to quit. IMPLICATIONS: All direct costs and activity-based time costs associated with delivering the intervention were analyzed from the perspective of an agency that may wish to replicate these strategies. A randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of MI relative to HE and BA to encourage quit attempts and cessation determined their relative cost-effectiveness. HE was the most cost-effective of the three types of smoking cessation induction therapies and therefore may be preferable. Despite guideline recommendations, MI may not be the best approach to encourage quit attempts in diverse populations. Rather, a structured, intensive HE intervention might be the most cost-effective alternative.

Shorter length of hospital stay for hip fracture in those with dementia and without a known diagnosis of osteoporosis in the USA.

BACKGROUND: About 50% of all hospitalized fragility fracture cases in older Americans are hip fractures. Approximately 3/4 of fracture-related costs in the USA are attributable to hip fractures, and these are mostly covered by Medicare. Hip fracture patients with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, have worse health outcomes including longer hospital length of stay (LOS) and charges. LOS and hospital charges for dementia patients are usually higher than for those without dementia. Research describing LOS and acute care charges for hip fractures has mostly focused on these outcomes in trauma patients without a known pre-admission diagnosis of osteoporosis (OP). Lack of documented diagnosis put patients at risk of not having an appropriate treatment plan for OP. Whether having a diagnosis of OP would have an effect on hospital outcomes in dementia patients has not been explored. We aim to investigate whether having a diagnosis of OP, dementia, or both has an effect on LOS and hospital charges. In addition, we also report prevalence of common comorbidities in the study population and their effects on hospital outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of claims data (2012-2013) for 2175 Medicare beneficiaries (≥65 years) in the USA. RESULTS: Compared to those without OP or dementia, patients with demenia only had a shorter LOS (by 5%; P = .04). Median LOS was 6 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 5-7), and the median hospital charges were $45,100 (IQR: 31,500 - 65,600). In general, White patients had a shorter LOS (by 7%), and those with CHF and ischemic heart disease (IHD) had longer LOS (by 7 and 4%, respectively). Hospital charges were 6% lower for women, and 16% lower for White patients. CONCLUSION: This is the first study evaluating LOS in dementia in the context of hip fracture which also disagrees with previous reporting about longer LOS in dementia patients. Patients with CHF and IHD remains at high risk for longer LOS regardless of their diagnosis of dementia or OP.

Trends for and Clinical Factors Associated with Choice of Oral P2Y12 Inhibitors for Patients on Chronic Dialysis.

BACKGROUND: Trends and clinical factors associated with prescribing choices for oral P2Y12 inhibitors (P2Y12-I) remain unknown for patients on chronic dialysis, i.e., with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: From 2011-2014 U.S. Renal Data System registry, we identified 36,542 ESRD patients who received new prescriptions for P2Y12-I (median age 64.0 years and 54% males). Of the cohort, 93% were receiving hemodialysis and 7% on peritoneal dialysis. We analyzed trends and investigated clinical factors associated with specific P2Y12-I prescribed. RESULTS: Clopidogrel was prescribed for 95%, prasugrel for 3%, and ticagrelor for 2%. Clopidogrel was favored for those ≥75 years (18% of cohort). Compared to Caucasians, African Americans (36% of cohort) and Hispanics (19% of cohort) were less likely to receive prasugrel and ticagrelor (P<0.05). Patients receiving hemodialysis versus peritoneal dialysis were less likely to receive prasugrel over clopidogrel, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.67 (0.55-0.82). Each additional year of dialysis decreased the odds of receiving prasugrel over clopidogrel, aOR 0.91 (0.85-0.98). History of atrial fibrillation reduced the odds of receiving ticagrelor or prasugrel over clopidogrel, aOR 0.69 (0.54-0.89) and 0.73 (0.60-0.89), respectively. Concomitant oral anticoagulant use was not associated with choice of P2Y12-I. Occurrence of non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction or percutaneous coronary intervention within the 6-month period prior to the index date favored ticagrelor over prasugrel, aOR 1.31 (1.06-1.62) and 1.29 (1.01-1.66), respectively. However, prescribing trends favoring ticagrelor over prasugrel were not observed for deployment of drug-eluting, or multiple coronary stents. CONCLUSION: Between 2011 and 2014, clopidogrel remained the most common P2Y12-I whereas ticagrelor and prasugrel remained underutilized in ESRD patients. Prescribing practices for these drugs were based upon clinically approved indication for their use in the general population as well as perceived complexity of an ESRD patient including demographics, dialysis-related factors and comorbidities. Comparative effectiveness studies involving ESRD patients are needed to prove that ticagrelor and prasugrel are just as safe and effective as clopidogrel before clinicians can make informed decisions for choice of P2Y12-I in this patient population.

Determinants of Opioid Prescribing for Nonmalignant Chronic Pain in US Outpatient Settings.

Study Objectives: Identify prescribing trends for opioid use in non-malignant chronic pain (NMCP) from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). Determine predictors of opioid use based on patient-specific factors. Design: This cross-sectional study analyzed NAMCS data from 2000 to 2007. Pain medications prescribed were retrieved using NAMCS drug codes. Multivariate logistic models examined determinants of opioid prescribing among NMCP patients. Subjects: Patients included in the study were age 18 years or older with NMCP diagnosis based on ICD-9 codes identified as reason for visits. Results: Approximately 690 million weighted outpatient visits related to NMCP were reported in the US between 2000 to 2007. Reported opioid use was 14.3%. Compared with patients age 18 to 34 years, patients age 35 to 49 years were 1.47 times more likely (odds ratio [OR] = 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17-1.86) and patients age 65 years or older were 0.61 times less likely (OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.27-0.55] to receive opioids. Patient visits from primary care physicians were 1.83 times more likely to report opioids (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.50-2.25) than specialty physicians. Hispanic ethnicity and patients with private insurance were less likely to receive opioids, while patients having five or more medications, publicly funded insurance, the ICD-9 code of general chronic pain, established patients, and the southern prescribing region were more likely to receive opioids. Conclusions: Differences exist between those prescribed and not prescribed opioids. Results from this study paired with increased education and further research regarding the appropriate prescribing and monitoring of opioids may help enhance awareness, diminish treatment disparities and improve safe and appropriate use of opioids in the NMCP population.

Impact of JIA on parents' work absences.

OBJECTIVE: Children with JIA have long-term morbidity and require extensive parental assistance. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of having a child with JIA on parents' missed work time, which can lead to decreased work productivity. METHODS: The Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Database (2000-9) was accessed to identify a cohort of parents having a child with newly diagnosed JIA. For comparison, a cohort of parents having no children with JIA was identified and matched with the preceding cohort. Parents' work absences were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariable regression. Estimates were weighted to be generalizable to the US employer-sponsored insurance population. RESULTS: The study identified 108 parents having a child with newly diagnosed JIA (mean age 42.5 years), representing an estimated 3335 (weighted) parents nationally. Most of them were from the South (45%), male (71%) and employed in the transportation and utilities industry (58%). The demographic characteristics of the control cohort of parents were generally similar. Children with JIA (mean age 10.6 years) represented an estimated 3528 cases nationally. The mean number of reported missed work-time hours was 281.81 (s.e. 40.50) in a 9 year period for parents having a child with JIA compared with other parents 183.36 (28.55). Work-time loss was significantly related to having a child with JIA, sex and geographical region of residence. Parents having a child with JIA were 2.78 times more likely to report work-time loss [odds ratio (OR) 2.78 (95% CI 1.47, 5.26)] than those having no children with JIA. CONCLUSION: Parents having a child with JIA report significant work-time loss compared with parents with no children having JIA, particularly during the year following the child's diagnosis.

Long-term medication adherence and preventive vs reactive care utilization among older adults with diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: To assess long-term adherence to oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) and determine if adherence affects total health care expenditures of reactive vs preventive services. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: This study measured adherence to OHAs using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2013-2017 data. Adults 65 years and older who had diabetes and were taking at least 1 OHA were included. Respondents with a medication possession ratio (MPR) of at least 80% were considered adherent. Health care utilization and expenditure were compared among adherent and nonadherent respondents for preventive and reactive services. Utilization data were analyzed using negative binomial regression and expenditure data using γ-family generalized linear regression models. RESULTS: Approximately 67% of the cohort (n = 1279) were adherent. The adherent group had greater health care expenditure overall than nonadherent respondents ($29,985 [95% CI, $27,161-$32,743] vs $24,623 [95% CI, $21,623-$28,122]; P < .05). Although expenditure was higher for prescription medications and office visits, mean emergency department expenditures were higher for adherent respondents. The utilization and proportion of expenditure on preventive vs reactive health care services did not differ by adherence as defined by an MPR of at least 80%. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing adherence provides an opportunity to improve CMS quality ratings. Our finding that adherence does not affect the financial burden of disease might be explained by the increased costs of preventive medication and increased comorbidity burden of these patients. Low adherence to OHAs encourages clinicians to be more proactive in ensuring that prescription medications are refilled regularly. By emphasizing equitable diabetes education and tailoring quality initiatives that minimize racial disparities, adherence can be better achieved.

Assessing coprescription of opioids with central nervous system depressants for nonmalignant chronic musculoskeletal pain management in the outpatient setting.

OBJECTIVES: To determine annual prescribing trends of opioids and coprescription of central nervous system (CNS) depressants in nonmalignant chronic musculoskeletal pain from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). To determine patient and provider characteristics associated with coprescription opioids and CNS depressants. DESIGN: The cross-sectional study analyzed NAMCS data from 2014 to 2016. Pain medications and CNS depressants were determined using Multum drug classification categories. All 30 medication entries were scanned in order to capture the maximum number of entries compared to previous studies. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine characteristics associated with opioid and CNS depressant coprescribing. PARTICIPANTS: Adults (18 years and older) with nonmalignant chronic musculoskeletal pain diagnosis based on ICD-9 codes were identified as the reason for visit. RESULTS: A total of 47,973,413 weighted visits with nonmalignant chronic musculoskeletal pain were reported in the US ambulatory setting from 2014 to 2016. Amongst these patients, 31 percent were on opioids, of which 26 percent were also prescribed benzodiazepines, 8 percent NBSH, and 22 percent gabapentinoids. The annual prescribing rate of opioids decreased significantly in 2016 compared to 2014 (OR: 0.63, 95 percent CI: 0.43-0.94). Polypharmacy and tobacco use were associated with higher odds of having opioids and concurrent opioid with CNS depressants. CONCLUSION: Our study results are in agreement with previous studies that found a steady decline in opioid prescribing even with the inclusion of all 30 medications in our study. Likewise, as previous studies have found, certain patient characteristics continue to be significant for receiving opioid and CNS depressant prescriptions.

Cost of Traditional Herbal Medicines for Noncommunicable Diseases in Rural and Urban Communities in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed traditional herbal medicine (THM) and conventional medicine (CM) utilization among participants with noncommunicable disease in South Africa. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological study collected data through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires in 2014. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the effect of sociodemographic and economic factors on THM and CM use. All statistical analyses were conducted using the statistical computing and graphics language "R." RESULTS: Of the total 417 randomly selected participants in this study, 85% were females, 95% with no health insurance, and 81% with monthly incomes of <2000 rand (R) ($137 equivalent) per month. Moreover, 73% spend 5% of their income on THM, and 10% say they are willing to pay >R500 per year on THM to feel better. Age was significantly associated with different spending patterns after controlling for other demographic factors, given that older adults were 82% (odds ratio 0.18; 95% confidence interval 0.02-0.93) less likely to pay >R100 for THM whereas younger adults were 59% (odds ratio 0.41; 95% confidence interval 0.17-0.97) less likely to pay for CM. CONCLUSIONS: The cost of using THM and CM largely differed by age. The economic insight into this study reveals individuals more willing to pay for THM to payors, which can ultimately clue payors into areas for medication optimization from potential drug-drug interactions and adverse events and, therefore, reduce healthcare costs.

Age Modifies Intracranial and Gastrointestinal Bleeding Risk from P2Y12 Inhibitors in Patients Receiving Dialysis.

Background: Individuals aged ≥75 years are the fastest-growing population starting dialysis for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) due to living longer with coronary artery disease. ESKD alone can increase bleeding risk, but P2Y12 inhibitor (P2Y12-I) antiplatelet medications prescribed for cardiovascular treatment can exacerbate this risk in patients with ESKD. The age-specific rates of bleeding complications in dialysis patients with ESKD on P2Y12-I remain unclear, as does how age modifies the bleeding risk from P2Y12-I use in these patients. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we collected data on 40,972 patients receiving maintenance hemo- or peritoneal dialysis who were newly prescribed P2Y12-I therapy between 2011 and 2015 from the USRDS registry. We analyzed the effect of age on the time to first bleed and the interactions between age and P2Y12-I type on modifying the effects of a bleed. Results: Twenty percent of the cohort were aged ≥75 years. There were 3096 (8%) gastrointestinal (GI) and 1298 (3%) intracranial (IC) bleeding events during a median follow-up of 1 year. Annual incidence rates for IC bleeds were 2% in those aged <55 years and 3% in those aged ≥75 years. Rates for GI bleeds were 4% in those aged <55 years and 9% in those aged ≥75 years. On clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor, for every decade increase in age of the cohort members, the risk of IC bleed increased by 9%, 55%, and 59%, and the risk of GI bleed increased by 21%, 28%, and 39%, respectively. At age ≥75 years, prasugrel was associated with a greater risk of IC bleed than clopidogrel. At age ≥60 years, ticagrelor was associated with a greater risk of GI bleed than clopidogrel. Conclusions: More potent P2Y12-Is (prasugrel and ticagrelor) were associated with a disproportionately higher risk of IC bleed with increasing age compared with that of clopidogrel-prasugrel was much worse than clopidogrel at age ≥75 years. All three drugs were associated with only modest increase in the risk of GI bleed with every decade increase in age-ticagrelor was much worse than clopidogrel at ≥60 years of age. These results highlight the need for head-to-head clinical trials for the use of P2Y12-Is in patients with ESKD to determine age cutoffs where the risk of bleeding outweighs the benefits of thrombosis prevention.

Adherence to antihyperlipidemic medication and lipid control in diabetic Veterans Affairs patients with psychotic disorders.

BACKGROUND: Medication adherence for chronic medical illnesses has been studied extensively, but there is limited data evaluating medication adherence for comorbid medical illnesses in a psychiatric population. Furthermore, only one study has evaluated both medication adherence and clinical outcomes between the two populations. Examining medication adherence rates and clinical outcomes are important as chronic medical illnesses occur commonly in psychiatric patients, can be drug-induced, and have negative long-term consequences. OBJECTIVES: To compare antihyperlipidemic medication adherence and lipid control between individuals with psychotic disorders and those without a psychiatric illness. METHODS: This was a retrospective medical record review of 124 subjects with hyperlipidemia and diabetes (62 subjects with schizophrenia or a related psychotic disorder and 62 randomly selected, age-matched individuals without a psychiatric illness) receiving medical and psychiatric care through the Veterans Affairs Medical Center during 2008. Cumulative mean gap ratio (CMGR) was used to determine adherence. Lipid values were utilized to compare lipid control between groups. RESULTS: A significant difference in CMGR was detected. Subjects with psychotic disorders were without antihyperlipidemic therapy for 44 days compared with 62 days for the nonpsychiatric comparison group (P = 0.034). Antipsychotic adherent subjects (≥80% adherent) were more likely to adhere to their antihyperlipidemic medication (P = 0.0007). There were no significant differences between the groups for lipid control. CONCLUSION: Antihyperlipidemic medication adherence differed with the psychotic disorder group having fewer days without drug therapy. However, there was no significant difference in lipid control between subjects with a psychotic disorder and those without a psychiatric illness.

Effect of educational level on knowledge and use of breast cancer screening practices in Bangladeshi women.

The Breast Health Global Initiative 2007 emphasized education and cultural values for promoting breast cancer screening in developing countries. This cross-sectional study investigated if educational level and cultural beliefs affect breast cancer screening practices in 152 women 40 years or older in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Women with a higher (>12 years) educational level were more likely to know about breast self-examination (BSE; OR(adj), 95%CI = 22, 6.39-76.76), to know about mammograms (6, 2.49-15.70), and to practice BSE (3, 1.27-6.83) compared with those with a lower educational level. Breast cancer screening practices or knowledge was not affected by perceiving barriers to having mammograms.

Impact of Fall Risk and Direct Oral Anticoagulant Treatment on Quality-Adjusted Life-Years in Older Adults with Atrial Fibrillation: A Markov Decision Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The decision to initiate anticoagulation in older adults with atrial fibrillation is complicated by the benefit of ischemic stroke prevention vs the risk of falls resulting in major bleeds. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of different treatments including direct oral anticoagulants on quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) in patients aged 75 years and older with atrial fibrillation in the context of falls. METHODS: A Markov decision process was constructed for older patients with atrial fibrillation taking no anti-thrombotic, aspirin, warfarin, rivaroxaban, and apixaban. Input probabilities for clinical events were estimated from the available literature. One-way and two-way sensitivity analyses were performed by measuring the impact of varying input probabilities of clinical events on QALY outcomes. RESULTS: The base-case scenario estimated that older adults treated with no anti-thrombotic, aspirin, warfarin, rivaroxaban, and apixaban had QALYs of 8.03, 8.69, 10.38, 11.02, and 11.56, respectively. The sensitivity analysis estimated that an older adult would need to fall over 45 (rivaroxaban) and 458 (apixaban) times per year for the QALY of a direct oral anticoagulant to be lower than that of aspirin. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with atrial fibrillation benefit from stroke protection of anticoagulants, especially direct oral anticoagulants, even if they are at high risk of falls. Clinicians should not consider fall risk as a deciding factor for withholding anticoagulation in this population of patients.

Polypharmacy and Cognition Function Among Rural Adults.

BACKGROUND: Polypharmacy (using≥5 medications) is associated with poor health outcomes. Mixed results from past studies surrounding chronic medication use, control of chronic conditions, and their effects on cognitive performance warrant further attention. OBJECTIVE: Investigate a link between polypharmacy and cognition function in rural-dwelling adults in Texas, USA. METHODS: Project FRONTIER (Facing Rural Obstacles to Healthcare Now Through Intervention, Education & Research) is a cross-sectional epidemiological study using community-based participatory research in three counties of Texas. Residents age > 40 were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome is cognitive impairment, and exposures of interest are polypharmacy; comorbidities; and diabetes, hypertension, and depression medication. Logistic regression was used to assess association. RESULTS: Six hundred eighty-nine individuals participated; the mean age was 61, and the majority were female (68.7%).The median number of medications taken by participants was 3.3 (IQR: 0-5); the rate of polypharmacy was 29.6%. Anti-hypertensive agents were the most common medications (15%) used. Polypharmacy users were 2.84 times more likely to have cognitive impairment [OR: 2.84, 95%CI (1.32-6.09)] than those using < 5 medications. Participants on hypertensive medications had 1.85 times higher odds [OR: 1.85, 95%CI (1.14-3.01)] of having cognitive impairment than those who did not have cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Polypharmacy increases the odds of cognitive impairment. The odds of presenting with cognitive impairment increased as the number of medications increased. Additionally, we identified a large, concerning number of participants with pharmacotherapy and poor chronic disease management. A larger study should examine medication adherence among rural elders to manage chronic disease and any healthcare barriers to adherence.

Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Oral P2Y12 Inhibitors in Patients on Chronic Dialysis.

INTRODUCTION: Although oral P2Y12 inhibitors (P2Y12-Is) are one of the most commonly prescribed medication classes in patients with end stage kidney disease on dialysis (ESKD), scarce data exist regarding their benefits and risks. METHODS: We compared effectiveness and safety of clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor in a longitudinal study using the United States Renal Data System registry of Medicare beneficiaries with ESKD. Individuals who filled new P2Y12-I prescriptions between 2011 and 2015 were included and followed until death or censoring. The primary exposure variable was P2Y12-I assignment. The primary outcome variable was death. Secondary outcomes included cardiovascular (CV) death, coronary revascularization, and gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage. Survival analyses were performed after propensity matching. RESULTS: Of 44,619 patients with ESKD who received P2Y12-Is, 95% received clopidogrel (n = 42,523), 3% prasugrel (n = 1205), and 2% ticagrelor (n = 891). To balance baseline differences, propensity-matching was performed: 1:6 for prasugrel (n = 1189) versus clopidogrel (n = 7134); 1:4 for ticagrelor (n = 880) versus clopidogrel (n = 3520); and 1:1 for ticagrelor versus prasugrel (n = 880). Prasugrel was associated with a reduced risk for death versus clopidogrel and ticagrelor (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.73-0.93 and 0.78; 95% CI: 0.64-0.95). Compared with clopidogrel, prasugrel reduced risk for coronary revascularization (HR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.86-0.96). There were no differences in GI hemorrhage between P2Y12-Is. CONCLUSION: In patients with ESKD, prasugrel compared with others reduced risk of death possibly by reducing risk for coronary revascularizations and without worsening gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Future trials are imperative to compare efficacy and safety of P2Y12-Is in patients with ESKD.

Greater Changes in Drug Burden Index (DBI) during Hospitalization and Increased 30-Day Readmission Rates among Older In-Hospital Fallers.

A higher drug burden index (DBI) is known to be associated with pre-admission falls leading to hospitalization. We investigated whether a mean difference in DBI (ΔDBI) between the events of in-hospital falls and hospital admission was associated with 30-day readmission in 113 patients ≥50 years who fell during their hospital stays between 2007 and 2014. A greater ΔDBI (≥0.09) was positively associated with higher 30-day readmission rates (incident rate ratio: 2.02; 95% confidence interval: 1.49-2.74). An effort to keep DBI low may thus decrease 30-day readmissions for older in-hospital fallers.

An exploratory retrospective evaluation of ropinirole-associated psychotic symptoms in an outpatient population treated for restless legs syndrome or Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Traditional treatment approaches for the management of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson's disease (PD) include the use of medications that either directly or indirectly increase dopamine levels. In turn, a potential adverse event that could be expected is the development or exacerbation of psychiatric-related symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and describe the incidence of psychosis and associated behavioral features in patients taking ropinirole for RLS or PD. METHODS: Patients were identified from a computerized database search of outpatients being treated with ropinirole for 1 of 2 medical conditions: PD or RLS. Data were collected in a retrospective manner from 95 patients who were tracked over the course of their therapy to determine whether psychosis or associated behavioral symptoms developed as a result and whether an intervention was needed to adjust ropinirole dosing or if additional medications had to be added to control features associated with psychosis. RESULTS: A total of 284 patients being treated for RLS or PD were identified; of this group, 95 patients were identified as being treated for PD or RLS with ropinirole. Of the 95 patients being treated with ropinirole, 13 developed psychotic features that required therapeutic intervention with either the use of an antipsychotic or dose adjustment of ropinirole. PD patients included in this study were numerically more likely to develop psychotic features compared with RLS patients; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.122). The results do suggest that this risk is increased when ropinirole is used as part of a dual therapy approach with dopamine agonists in the treatment of either PD or RLS (p = 0.003). DISCUSSION: Dopamine agonists have long been used as preferred treatment in the management of PD and RLS. When treating either PD or RLS in the psychiatric population, the concern arises that increased activity at dopamine receptors may induce or exacerbate psychiatric features. A potential clinical concern with the use of ropinirole is the potential for patients to develop psychiatric features, although there are few data available to demonstrate whether stimulation of targeted individual dopamine receptors is linked to the development or exacerbation of psychotic features. It is also undetermined whether concurrent antipsychotic treatment provides any protective benefit against psychosis, especially in patients already being treated for psychotic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that ropinirole may play a role in inducing or exacerbating psychosis and its associated features, although a number of confounding variables prevent the determination of a clear association and suggest that further investigation is warranted in controlled clinical trials.

Treatment of anemia among women with chronic kidney disease in United States outpatient settings.

AIMS: Women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are often at risk for anemia. This study examined variations in anemia care and management among women with CKD in outpatient settings in the United States. METHODS: The study utilized National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) data from 1996 to 2003. Women aged 18 years or older with CKD were included based on ICD-9-CM codes for CKD, anemia, and reason for visit. Anemia-related medications were retrieved using NAMCS drug codes. RESULTS: Approximately 58 million weighted outpatient visits for women with CKD were made. Nearly 14% of these visits were by Hispanic women and 50% visits were by patients aged 65 years or older. Nephrologists accounted for only 15% of CKD patient visits and 51% of these patients had anemia diagnosis. Additionally, 32% of patients were using 5 or more medications. Women with Medicare coverage were 2.6 times more likely (p < .05) to be diagnosed with anemia by a nephrologist and were 2.4 times more likely (p < .05) to receive a prescription to treat anemia than patients seen by non-nephrologists. Hispanic women were 56% less likely (p < or = .05) to use 5 or more medications than non-Hispanic patients. CKD patients with anemia diagnosis were 50% less likely to receive 5 or more medications (p < or = .05). CONCLUSION: This study found many risk factors associated with the diagnosis and treatment of anemia in women with CKD being treated in U.S. outpatient settings. Increased awareness of early treatments for anemia and assessments of patients receiving multiple medications is needed in women with CKD.