Patient-Reported Outcomes in KEYNOTE-564: Adjuvant Pembrolizumab Versus Placebo for Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) enrolled in the phase III KEYNOTE-564 trial (NCT03142334), disease-free survival (DFS) following nephrectomy was prolonged with use of adjuvant pembrolizumab therapy versus placebo. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide an important measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and can complement efficacy and safety results. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In KEYNOTE-564, 994 patients were randomly assigned to receive pembrolizumab 200 mg (n = 496) or placebo (n = 498) intravenously every 3 weeks for ≤17 cycles. Patients who received ≥1 dose of treatment and completed ≥1 HRQoL assessment were included in this analysis. HRQoL end points were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30, FKSI-DRS, and EQ VAS. Prespecified and exploratory PRO end points were mean change from baseline in EORTC QLQ-C30 GHS/QoL score, EORTC QLQ-C30 physical function subscale score, and FKSI-DRS score. RESULTS: No clinically meaningful difference in least squares mean scores for pembrolizumab versus placebo were observed at week 52 for EORTC QLQ-C30 GHS/QoL (-2.5; 95% CI -5.2 to 0.1), EORTC QLQ-C30 physical functioning (-0.87; 95% CI -2.7 to 1.0), and FKSI-DRS (-0.7; 95% CI -1.2 to -0.1). Most PRO scores remained stable or improved for the EORTC QLQ-C30 GHS/QoL (pembrolizumab, 54.3%; placebo, 67.5%), EORTC QLQ-C30 physical functioning (pembrolizumab, 64.7%; placebo, 68.8%), and FKSI-DRS (pembrolizumab, 58.2%; placebo, 66.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant treatment with pembrolizumab did not result in deterioration of HRQoL. These findings together with the safety and efficacy findings support adjuvant pembrolizumab treatment following nephrectomy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT03142334.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Pembrolizumab as an Adjuvant Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma Post-nephrectomy in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Pembrolizumab was recently approved as an adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), based on prolonged disease-free survival compared to placebo in the phase III KEYNOTE-564 trial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab as monotherapy in the adjuvant treatment of RCC post-nephrectomy, from a US health sector perspective. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A Markov model with 4 health states (disease-free, locoregional recurrence, distant metastases, and death) was developed to compare the cost and effectiveness of pembrolizumab versus routine surveillance or sunitinib. Transition probabilities were estimated using patient-level KEYNOTE-564 data (cutoff: June 14, 2021), a retrospective study, and published literature. Costs of adjuvant and subsequent treatments, adverse events, disease management, and terminal care were estimated in 2022 US$. Utilities were based on EQ-5D-5L data collected in KEYNOTE-564. Outcomes included costs, life-years (LYs), and quality-adjusted LYs (QALYs). Robustness was assessed through one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Total cost per patient was $549,353 for pembrolizumab, $505,094 for routine surveillance, and $602,065 for sunitinib. Over a lifetime, pembrolizumab provided gains of 0.96 QALYs (1.00 LYs) compared to routine surveillance, yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $46,327/QALY. Pembrolizumab dominated sunitinib with 0.89 QALYs (0.91 LYs) gained while saving costs. At a $150,000/QALY threshold, pembrolizumab was cost-effective versus both routine surveillance and sunitinib in 84.2% of probabilistic simulations. CONCLUSION: Pembrolizumab is projected to be cost-effective as an adjuvant RCC treatment versus routine surveillance or sunitinib based on a typical willingness-to-pay threshold.

Disease-free survival as a predictor of overall survival in localized renal cell carcinoma following initial nephrectomy: A retrospective analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare datac.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess whether disease-free survival (DFS) may serve as a predictor for long-term survival among patients with intermediate-high risk or high risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC) post-nephrectomy when overall survival (OS) is unavailable. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database (2007-2016) was used to identify patients with non-metastatic intermediate-high risk and high risk RCC post-nephrectomy. Landmark analysis and Kendall's τ were used to evaluate the correlation between DFS and OS. Multivariable regression models were used to quantify the incremental OS post-nephrectomy associated with increased time to recurrence among patients with recurrence, adjusting for baseline covariates. RESULTS: A total of 643 patients were analyzed; mean age of 75 years; >95% of patients had intermediate-high risk RCC at diagnosis; 269 patients had recurrence post-nephrectomy. For patients with versus without recurrence at the landmark points of 1, 3, and 5 years post-nephrectomy, the 5-year OS were 37.0% versus 70.1%, 42.3% versus 72.8%, and 53.2% versus 78.6%, respectively. The Kendall's τ between DFS and OS post-nephrectomy was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.65, 0.74; p < 0.001). After adjusting for baseline covariates, patients with one additional year of time to recurrence were associated with 0.73 years longer OS post-nephrectomy (95% CI: 0.40, 1.05; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The significant positive association of DFS and OS among patients with intermediate-high risk and high risk RCC post-nephrectomy from this study supports the use of DFS as a potential predictor of OS for these patients when OS data are immature.

Clinical and economic burdens of recurrence following nephrectomy for intermediate high- or high-risk renal cell carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data.

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is associated with a high risk of recurrence. Although RCC has been shown to impose a substantial burden on patients, little is known about the incremental clinical and economic burden attributable to disease recurrence. With recent advances in the RCC-therapeutic landscape, including adjuvant therapies, it is important to quantify the clinical and economic burden associated with RCC recurrence to better evaluate the potential impact of treatment in this patient population. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the incremental clinical and economic burden associated with disease recurrence among patients with intermediate high-risk and high-risk RCC postnephrectomy. METHODS: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database (2007-2016) were used to identify patients with newly diagnosed, intermediate high-risk or high-risk RCC following nephrectomy. Patients with a diagnosis of metastatic disease or repeat nephrectomy or initiating a systemic treatment for advanced RCC were grouped as the recurrence cohort; patients without evidence of recurrence were grouped as the cohort without recurrence. Health care resource utilization (HRU), health care costs (2019 US dollars), and overall survival (OS) were compared between cohorts with and without recurrence, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 269 patients with recurrence and 374 patients without recurrence were analyzed. Mean age was 75.2 and 75.7 years (P = 0.383), respectively, and 64.7% and 57.8% (P = 0.076) of patients were male, respectively. Median follow-up duration was 17 and 28 months, respectively. Patients with recurrence had a significantly shorter OS relative to patients without recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio = 6.00; 95% CI = 4.24-8.48; P < 0.001). Additionally, compared with patients without recurrence, patients with recurrence had significantly more inpatient admissions (0.16 vs 0.04 admissions per person-month [PM]; adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] = 3.88; 95% CI = 3.12-4.81), outpatient visits (3.06 vs 1.77 visits per PM; aIRR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.56-1.81), emergency department visits (0.10 vs 0.05 visits per PM; aIRR = 2.11; 95% CI = 1.66-2.68), and days hospitalized (1.40 vs 0.35 days per PM; aIRR = 6.73; 95% CI = 4.95-9.15) per patient per month (all P < 0.001). Adjusted mean monthly health care costs per patient were significantly higher among patients with recurrence vs patients without recurrence (differences of all-cause total costs, total medical costs, and pharmacy cost per month: $6,320, $4,924, and $1,387; all P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RCC recurrence is associated with a significant increase in mortality, HRU, and health care costs, highlighting the substantial unmet need in patients with intermediate high-risk and high-risk RCC postnephrectomy when adjuvant therapies are not widely available. DISCLOSURES: Dr Sundaram is an employee of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., and holds stock in AbbVie, Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Merck & Co., Inc. Dr Bhattacharya is an employee of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., and holds stock in Merck & Co., Inc. Dr Adejoro and Dr Rogerio were employees of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. at the time of study conduct. Dr Adejoro holds stock in Johnson & Johnson. Dr Song, Dr Zhang, Mr Carley, and Dr Signorovitch are employees of Analysis Group, Inc., a consulting firm that received funding from Merck & Co., Inc. for the conduct of this research. Ms Zhu was an employee of Analysis Group, Inc. at the time of study conduct. Dr Haas is a Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and also serves on the advisory board for Aveo, Calithera and Exelixis, Co. Financial support for this study was provided by Merck & Co., Inc. The study sponsor was involved in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, interpretation of data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

A Comparison of Home Health Utilization, Outcomes, and Cost Between Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare.

BACKGROUND: Home health use is rising rapidly in the United States as the population ages, the prevalence of chronic disease increases, and older Americans express their desire to age at home. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans rather than Traditional Medicare (TM) has grown as well, from 13% of total Medicare enrollment in 2004 to 39% in 2020. Despite these shifts, little is known about outcomes and costs following home health in MA as compared with TM. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to measure the association of MA enrollment with outcomes and costs for patients using home health. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients enrolled in plans offered by 1 large, national MA organization and patients enrolled in TM, with at least 1 home health visit between January 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018. EXPOSURE: MA enrollment. MAIN MEASURES: We compared the intensity of home health services and types of care delivered. The main outcome measures were hospitalization, the proportion of days in the home, and total allowed costs during the 180-day period following the first qualifying home health visit during the study period. KEY RESULTS: Among patients who used home health, our models demonstrated enrollment in MA was associated with 14%, and 6% decreased odds of 60- and 180-day hospitalization, respectively, a 12.8% and 14.7% decrease in medical costs exclusive and inclusive of home health costs, respectively, and a 0.27% increase in the proportion of days at home during the 180-day follow-up, equivalent to an additional half-day at home. There were few differences in home health care delivered for MA and TM [mean number of visits in the first episode of care (17.1 vs. 17.3) and mean visits per week (3.2 vs. 3.3)]. The mean number of visits by visit type and percent of patients with each type was similar between MA and TM as well. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with enrollment in TM, enrollment in MA was associated with improved patient-centered outcomes and lower cost and utilization, despite few differences in the way home health was delivered. These findings might be explained by structural components of MA that encourage better care management, but further investigation is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which MA enrollment may lead to higher value home health care.

Post-SNF outcomes and cost comparison: Medicare Advantage vs traditional Medicare.

OBJECTIVES: To compare outcomes and costs following skilled nursing facility (SNF) discharge for patients within a Medicare Advantage (MA) organization vs traditional Medicare (TM). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of adults with a postacute SNF admission identified from MA claims (MA cohort: n = 56,228) and the Medicare 5% Limited Data Sets (TM cohort: n = 67,859). METHODS: Outcomes included hospitalization, proportion of days at home, and total medical costs during the 180 days post SNF discharge, and successful community discharge. Regression models accounted for patient characteristics and health care utilization in the 180 days prior to the proximal hospitalization and characteristics of the proximal hospitalization using backward variable selection and fixed effects for MA enrollment. To control for observable differences between individuals who selected MA vs TM, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was conducted. RESULTS: The MA cohort was younger than the TM cohort (median age, 77 vs 81 years), more likely to have qualified for Medicare based on disability (29% vs 20%), and less likely to have dual Medicare/Medicaid eligibility (16% vs 23%). After adjustment, MA was associated with 22% decreased odds of hospitalization during the 180 days post SNF discharge, 19% increased odds of successful community discharge, a 4% increase in the proportion of days at home (equating to 6.7 additional days), and a 24% decrease in medical costs post SNF discharge. Results using IPTW were similar. CONCLUSIONS: MA was associated with better outcomes and lower costs post SNF discharge, suggesting efficiencies in care for SNF patients with MA. Further research is needed to evaluate specific MA features that may lead to better value.

Comparing Medical Utilization and Cost Outcomes in Oral Versus Injectable Immunotherapy Users with Chronic Inflammatory Joint and Skin Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and psoriasis (PSO) are immune-mediated systemic, chronic inflammatory conditions. Moderate to severe disease is treated with conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate, sulfasalazine, or leflunomide. If a patient does not respond to these firstline treatments, then tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) or non-TNFi immunotherapy agents are administered via infusion, injection, or taken orally. Although the effectiveness of established infusion, injection, and newer oral therapies are known, the relative effectiveness among the routes of administration is not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To compare drug use, health care resource utilization, and costs among patients who are treatment-naive to oral immunotherapy and injectable biologic immunotherapy. METHODS: This retrospective observational study used claims data from a large U.S. health plan to identify new users of oral and injectable immunotherapy, diagnosed with a joint (RA or PsA), skin (PSO), or joint and skin condition from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2017. The index date was the first claim for an oral or injectable medication. Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and commercial plan patients aged 19-89 years with continuous enrollment 6 months before and 12 months after the index date were included in the study. Outcomes were adjusted using propensity score by inverse probability of treatment weighting. Treatment discontinuation, switching, health care resource utilization, and costs were measured during the post-index period. RESULTS: Oral versus injectable users with joint (n = 458 vs. 3,875), skin (n = 265 vs. 951), or joint and skin (n = 171 vs. 805) conditions were identified. For drug utilization outcomes, no differences in discontinuation rates were observed between oral and injectable groups for any of the cohorts. However, those in skin and joint and skin cohorts had higher rates of switching to other immunotherapies in patients initiated on orals compared with injectables. Health care resource utilization outcomes were mixed. While mean outpatient and physician office visits were significantly higher in oral compared with injectable groups across all 3 cohorts, no differences were observed for inpatient stays. Total costs (medical plus pharmacy) were lower for oral groups across all 3 cohorts. Pharmacy costs were lower for oral groups, but medical costs were higher for oral groups across all 3 cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first population-level study at a route-of-administration level, which compared switching, health care resource utilization, and costs across several conditions. Switching drugs was more likely in the oral group, which may indicate lower effectiveness or tolerability of oral immunotherapies relative to injectables. Health care resource utilization was higher in the oral group, but total costs were lower, which was likely driven by the lower costs of oral drugs. DISCLOSURES: This study was a Humana internal study, and all authors were at the time employees of Humana and used Humana resources. The authors have no conflicts of interest or financial interests to disclose that relate to the research described in this study. This study was presented as a podium and poster presentation at the AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting; April 23-26, 2018; Boston, MA.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis among patients with a Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan; prevalence, survival and patient characteristics.

Objective: To estimate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) prevalence, 5-year survival, and explore factors associated with survival in a Medicare population. Methods: A validated administrative claims algorithm was used to classify individual's ages 18-89 years at index date (first claim with a diagnosis of motor neuron disease or ALS between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011) with Medicare Advantage prescription drug coverage into mutually exclusive categories: ALS, no ALS, and possible ALS. Crude prevalence and cumulative survival from index date to the date of death, disenrollment or end of the study were calculated. Cox-proportional hazards were used to estimate and explore factors associated with survival. Results: Of 2631 eligible individuals, the algorithm identified 1271 (48 %), 1157 (44 %), 203 (8 %) as ALS, no ALS and possible ALS, respectively. The 5-year period prevalence and the 2011 point prevalence of ALS were 20.5 and 11.8 per 100,000, respectively. Evidence of death was documented in 81%, 35%, and 1.6% of the ALS, no ALS or possible ALS groups, respectively. Unadjusted median survival time was 388, 542 and 1473 days for the ALS, no ALS and possible ALS groups, respectively. Seeing a psychiatrist or neurologist at the index visit, having respiratory or genitourinary comorbidities, and the number of pre-index acute inpatient admissions were associated with shorter survival. Conclusions: Surveillance data from a Medicare population demonstrated a higher prevalence of ALS. Results highlight the need for effective ALS treatment options and resources for patients with ALS who will likely face limited therapeutic choices and care options at the end of life.

Depression treatment decreases healthcare expenditures among working age patients with comorbid conditions and type 2 diabetes mellitus along with newly-diagnosed depression.

BACKGROUND: There are many studies in the literature on the association between depression treatment and health expenditures. However, there is a knowledge gap in examining this relationship taking into account coexisting chronic conditions among patients with diabetes. We aim to analyze the association between depression treatment and healthcare expenditures among adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and newly-diagnosed depression, with consideration of coexisting chronic physical conditions. METHODS: We used multi-state Medicaid data (2000-2008) and adopted a retrospective longitudinal cohort design. Medical conditions were identified using diagnosis codes (ICD-9-CM and CPT systems). Healthcare expenditures were aggregated for each month for 12 months. Types of coexisting chronic physical conditions were hierarchically grouped into: dominant, concordant, discordant, and both concordant and discordant. Depression treatment categories were as follows: antidepressants or psychotherapy, both antidepressants and psychotherapy, and no treatment. We used linear mixed-effects models on log-transformed expenditures (total and T2DM-related) to examine the relationship between depression treatment and health expenditures. The analyses were conducted on the overall study population and also on subgroups that had coexisting chronic physical conditions. RESULTS: Total healthcare expenditures were reduced by treatment with antidepressants (16 % reduction), psychotherapy (22 %), and both therapy types in combination (28 %) compared to no depression treatment. Treatment with both antidepressants and psychotherapy was associated with reductions in total healthcare expenditures among all groups that had a coexisting chronic physical condition. CONCLUSIONS: Among adults with T2DM and chronic conditions, treatment with both antidepressants and psychotherapy may result in economic benefits.

A Real-World Observational Study of Time to Treatment Intensification Among Elderly Patients with Inadequately Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Among elderly patients, the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is complicated by population heterogeneity and elderly-specific complexities. Few studies have been done to understand treatment intensification among elderly patients failing multiple oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs). OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between time to treatment intensification of T2DM and elderly-specific patient complexities. METHODS: In this observational, retrospective cohort study, elderly (aged ≥ 65 years) Medicare beneficiaries (n = 16,653) with inadequately controlled T2DM (hemoglobin A1c ≥ 8.0% despite 2 OADs) were included. Based on the consensus statement for diabetes care in elderly patients published by the American Diabetes Association and the American Geriatric Society, elderly-specific patient complexities were defined as the presence or absence of 5 geriatric syndromes: cognitive impairment; depression; falls and fall risk; polypharmacy; and urinary incontinence. RESULTS: Overall, 48.7% of patients received intensified treatment during follow-up, with median time to intensification 18.5 months (95% CI = 17.7-19.3). Median time to treatment intensification was shorter for elderly patients with T2DM with polypharmacy (16.5 months) and falls and fall risk (12.7 months) versus those without polypharmacy (20.4 months) and no fall risk (18.6 months). Elderly patients with urinary incontinence had a longer median time to treatment intensification (18.6 months) versus those without urinary incontinence (14.6 months). The median time to treatment intensification did not significantly differ by the elderly-specific patient complexities that included cognitive impairment and depression. However, after adjusting for demographic, insurance, clinical characteristics, and health care utilization, we found that only polypharmacy was associated with time to treatment intensification (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% CI = 1.04-1.15; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Less than half of elderly patients with inadequately controlled T2DM received treatment intensification. Elderly-specific patient complexities were not associated with time to treatment intensification, emphasizing a positive effect of the integrated health care delivery model. Emerging health care delivery models that target integrated care may be crucial in providing appropriate treatment for elderly T2DM patients with complex conditions.

A real-world study of the effect of timing of insulin initiation on outcomes in older medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES: To compare clinical and economic outcomes of early insulin initiation with those of delayed initiation in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Humana Medicare Advantage health insurance plan. PARTICIPANTS: Older (≥65) Medicare beneficiaries with T2DM. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects were grouped according to number of classes of oral antidiabetes drugs (OADs) they had taken before initiation of insulin: one (early insulin initiators), two, or three or more (delayed insulin initiators). One-year follow-up outcomes included change in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), percentage of older adults with HbA1c less than 8.0%, hypoglycemic events, and total healthcare costs. RESULTS: Overall, 14,669 individuals were included in the analysis. Baseline and 1-year follow-up HbA1c levels were available for 4,028 (27.5%) individuals. Insulin was initiated early in 32% and delayed in 20%. At follow-up, unadjusted reduction in HbA1c was 0.9±3.7% for the group with one OAD, 0.7±2.4% for those with two, and 0.5±3.6% for those with three or more. Early insulin initiation was associated with significantly greater reduction in HbA1c (0.4%; adjusted P<.001), 30% greater likelihood of achieving HbA1c less than 8.0% (adjusted odds ratio=1.30, 95% confidence interval=1.18-1.43), and no significant differences in total costs or hypoglycemia events (11.5% of early initiators vs 10.2% of delayed initiators; P=.32). CONCLUSION: This study suggests beneficial effects of early insulin initiation in older adults with T2DM who do not have adequate glycemic control, without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia or greater total direct healthcare costs.

Health Behaviors Among Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors.

BACKGROUND: With improved treatments, the survival rate for breast cancer patients is increasing. With the improvements in quantity of life, research in the field of cancer survivorship has turned its attention to psychosocial functioning and health behaviors. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine how those currently under treatment and those completing treatment engaged in health behaviors (ie, diet, vitamin use, exercise, and cancer screening) and if psychosocial predictors, guided by the Self-regulation Model, also play a role. METHODS: Using the Self-regulation Model, the current survey and medical record review examined health behaviors (diet, vitamin use, exercise, cancer screening) in individuals in active treatment for breast cancer and in those completing treatment (n = 141). RESULTS: Regression models revealed that those in active treatment had less healthy food consumption, vitamin use, and clinical examinations than did treatment completers. Greater perceived treatment efficacy was associated with diet and vitamin use but not exercise or cancer screening. Greater perceived risk of recurrence was associated with less exercise. Greater distress was associated with greater mammography use. Those from metro areas had greater healthy food consumption. RESULTS: Qualitative data indicated that chemotherapy interfered with health behaviors for those in active treatment; treatment completers wished to have a healthier lifestyle. CONCLUSION: Cancer treatment interferes with health behaviors, and these health behaviors might help individuals manage their cancer treatment more effectively. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Those currently undergoing treatment desire assistance with a healthier lifestyle, and relevant clinical interventions should stress treatment efficacy.

Type of Multimorbidity and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among Adults.

Objective. To examine the association between type of multimorbidity and CAM use among adults with multimorbidity. Methods. The current study used a cross-sectional design with retrospective data from 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Multimorbidity was classified into two groups: (1) adults with coexisting physical and mental illnesses and (2) adults with two or more chronic physical illnesses only. CAM use was measured using a set of 18 variables. Logistic regression and multinomial logistic regressions were used to assess the association between the type of multimorbidity and ever used CAM, CAM use in the past 12 months, and type of CAM. Results. Overall, 31.2% of adults with coexisting physical and mental illnesses and 20.1% of adults with only physical illnesses used CAM in the past 12 months. Adults with coexisting physical and mental illnesses were more likely to ever use CAM (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.49, 1.90), use CAM in the past 12 months (AOR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.15, 1.52), and use mind-body therapies in the past 12 months (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.16, 1.59) compared to adults with only physical illnesses. Conclusion. Multimorbidity of chronic physical and mental illnesses was associated with higher CAM use.

Variations of depression treatment among women with hypertension.

The objective was to examine depression treatment among non-pregnant women, aged 22 and older, with hypertension, utilizing cross-sectional data from the 2006 and 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Depression treatment patterns by demographic, socioeconomic, health care access, and health characteristics were analyzed utilizing chi-square tests and logistic and multinomial logistic regressions. Overall, 23.9% had no depression treatment, 56.8% had antidepressant use only, and 19.3% had psychotherapy with or without antidepressants. African Americans (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.47), Latinas (AOR = 0.46), and uninsured women (AOR = 0.39) were significantly less likely to report any treatment for depression compared with Whites and those with private insurance.

Depression and ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries with chronic physical conditions.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the association between depression and hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (H-ACSC) among Medicare beneficiaries with chronic physical conditions. METHODS: We used a retrospective longitudinal design using multiple years (2002-2009) of linked fee-for-service Medicare claims and survey data from Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey to create six longitudinal panels. We followed individuals in each panel for a period of 3-years; first year served as the baseline and subsequent 2-years served as the follow-up. We measured depression, chronic physical conditions and other characteristics at baseline and examined H-ACSC at follow-up. We identified chronic physical conditions from survey data and H-ACSC and depression from fee-for-service Medicare claims. We analyzed unadjusted and adjusted relationships between depression and the risk of H-ACSC with chi-square tests and logistic regressions. RESULTS: Among all Medicare beneficiaries, 9.3% had diagnosed depression. Medicare beneficiaries with depression had higher rates of any H-ACSC as compared to those without depression (13.6% vs. 7.7%). Multivariable regression indicated that, compared to those without depression, Medicare beneficiaries with depression were more likely to experience any H-ACSC. CONCLUSIONS: Depression was associated with greater risk of H-ACSC, suggesting that health care quality measures may need to include depression as a risk-adjustment variable.

Use of antidepressants and statins and short-term risk of new-onset diabetes among high risk adults.

AIMS: We evaluated the association of combined use of antidepressants and statins and the risk of new-onset diabetes among high-risk adults. METHODS: We used a retrospective, observational, longitudinal design among adults (age ≥ 22 years) who were diabetes free at baseline and had reported hypertension or hyperlipidemia or heart disease. We used data were from 2004 to 2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and identified from self-reported diabetes or insulin use. We categorized antidepressants and statins use into four groups: antidepressants only, statins only, combined use of antidepressants and statins (antidepressants-statins), and neither antidepressant nor statins. We conducted chi-square and multivariable logistic regressions to examine the association between use of antidepressants-statins and new-onset diabetes after controlling for demographic and economic characteristics, health-status, access to care, presence of depression, and lifestyle risk factors. RESULTS: In our study sample, 9.3% used antidepressants only, 10.7% used statins only and 2.4% adults reported use of antidepressants-statins. Nearly 2% of the study sample reported new-onset diabetes. In unadjusted analyses, significantly higher proportion of adults using antidepressants-statins (3.2%) reported new-onset diabetes compared to those using neither antidepressants nor statins (1.1%). However, after controlling for all other variables in multivariable regression we did not observe a statistically significant association between use of antidepressants-statins and new-onset diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study results do not suggest that use of antidepressants-statins may increase the risk of new-onset diabetes. Future research needs to examine this relationship with specific combinations of these drug classes and using longer follow up periods.

Excess risk of chronic physical conditions associated with depression and anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety have been reported to be associated with chronic physical conditions. We examined the excess risk of chronic physical conditions associated with depression and/or anxiety within a multivariate framework controlling for demographic and modifiable lifestyle risk factors. METHODS: We used a retrospective cross-sectional study design. Study participants were adults aged 22-64 years from 2007 and 2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We defined presence of depression-anxiety based on self-reported depression and anxiety and classified adults into 4 groups: 1) depression only; 2) anxiety only; 3) comorbid depression and anxiety 4) no depression and no anxiety. We included presence/absence of arthritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and osteoporosis as dependent variables. Complementary log-log regressions were used to examine the excess risk associated with depression and/or anxiety for chronic physical conditions using a multivariate framework that controlled for demographic (gender, age, race/ethnicity) and modifiable lifestyle (obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking) risk factors. Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was applied and p ≤0.007 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Overall, 7% had only depression, 5.2% had only anxiety and 2.5% had comorbid depression and anxiety. Results from multivariable regressions indicated that compared to individuals with no depression and no anxiety, individuals with comorbid depression and anxiety, with depression only and with anxiety only, all had higher risk of all the chronic physical conditions. ARRs for comorbid depression and anxiety ranged from 2.47 (95% CI: 1.47, 4.15; P = 0.0007) for osteoporosis to 1.64 (95% CI: 1.33, 2.04; P < 0.0001) for diabetes. Presence of depression only was also found to be significantly associated with all chronic conditions except for osteoporosis. Individuals with anxiety only were found to have a higher risk for arthritis, COPD, heart disease and hypertension. CONCLUSION: Presence of depression and/or anxiety conferred an independent risk for having chronic physical conditions after adjusting for demographic and modifiable lifestyle risk factors.

Antidepressant use and new-onset diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Antidepressant use has been linked to new-onset diabetes. However, the existing literature on this relationship has yielded inconsistent findings. The primary objective of this study was to systematically synthesize the literature on the relationship between antidepressant use and new-onset diabetes using meta-analysis. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies in seven electronic databases. Two independent reviewers identified the final list of studies to be included in the meta-analysis using a priori selection criteria. Results for the primary outcome of interest, that is, odds and hazards of developing new-onset diabetes, were pooled using a random-effects model. Egger's regression test and the Trim and Fill method were utilized to detect the presence of any potential publication bias. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using the leave-one-out method as well as individual categories of antidepressant drugs. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Random effects models revealed that adults with any use of antidepressants were more likely to develop new-onset diabetes compared with those without any use of antidepressants [odd ratios = 1.50, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-2.10; hazards ratio = 1.19, 95% CI, 1.08-1.32]. Sensitivity analyses revealed fair robustness; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants were more likely to be associated with the development of new-onset diabetes. Results from the Egger's regression test and Trim and Fill method revealed no evidence of publication bias. Among adults, antidepressant use was associated with higher chances of new-onset diabetes. However, because a cause-and-effect relationship cannot be established by observational studies, future randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm this association.

Prevalence and predictors of anticholinergic agents in elderly outpatients with dementia.

BACKGROUND: Anticholinergic medications, although frequently used in elderly populations, are associated with cognitive impairment and constitute significant concern for patients with dementia. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to examine patterns and predictors of prescribing anticholinergic agents for elderly outpatients with dementia. METHODS: We combined data from the 2006-2007 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the outpatient department component of National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to analyze patient visits by elderly persons (aged ≥65 years) with dementia. Anticholinergic drugs were identified using the Anticholinergic Drug Scale, which classifies anticholinergic drugs into four levels (0-3) in increasing order of anticholinergic activity. Descriptive analysis using sampling weights was used to evaluate patterns of anticholinergic drug prescription, especially prescribing of medications with clinically significant anticholinergic activity (ie, levels 2 or 3). Multiple logistic regression was used in the conceptual framework of the Andersen Behavioral Model to examine the predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with prescribing of medications with clinically significant anticholinergic activity. RESULTS: According to the national surveys there were a total of 6.8 million (95% CI, 5.27-8.44 million; 0.32%) ambulatory care visits for dementia. Approximately 43% (42.86%; 95% CI, 35.24-50.48) of these visits involved prescribing at least one anticholinergic drug; and 10.07% of visits involved prescribing levels 2 or 3 anticholinergic medications. The predisposing factor, age (75-84 years; odds ratio [OR] = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.07-0.87), and the need factors, acetylcholinesterase inhibitor use (OR = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.07-0.86) and comorbid mood disorders (OR = 0.12; 95% CI, 0.02-0.73), were associated with decreased likelihood of prescribing medications with clinically significant anticholinergic activity. The need factor total number of medications prescribed (OR = 1.45, 95% CI, 1.20-1.75) increased the likelihood of these prescriptions being administered. CONCLUSIONS: One in 10 outpatient visits by elderly persons with dementia involved prescribing medications with clinically significant anticholinergic activity. Given their adverse cognitive effects, there is a strong need to optimize anticholinergic drug prescribing in vulnerable elderly outpatients with dementia.