Trends in Number and Appropriateness of Prescription Medication Utilization among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in the US: 2011-2020.

BACKGROUND: Contemporary data on the quantity and quality of medication use among older adults are lacking. This study examined recent trends in number and appropriateness of prescription medication use among older adults in the US. METHOD: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and March 2020 were used and 6336 adult participants aged 65 and older were included. We examined the number of prescription medication, prevalence of polypharmacy (≥5 prescription drugs), use of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM), and use of recommended medications (ACEI/ARBs plus beta-blockers among patients with heart failure and ACEI/ARBs among patients with albuminuria). RESULTS: There has been a slight increase in the prevalence of polypharmacy (39.3% in 2011-2012 to 43.8% in 2017-2020, p for trend= 0.32). Antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic, antidiabetic medications, and antidepressants are the most commonly used medications. There was no substantial change in the use of PIM (17.0% to 14.7%). Less than 50% of older adults with heart failure received ACEI/ARBs plus beta-blockers (44.3% in 2017-2020) and approximately 50% patients with albuminuria received ACEI/ARBs (54.0 in 2017-2020), with no improvement over the study period. Polypharmacy, older age, female, and lower socioeconomic status generally were associated with greater use of PIM but lower use of recommended medications. CONCLUSIONS: The medication burden remained high among older adults in the US and the appropriate utilization of medications did not improve in the recent decade. Our results underscore the need for greater attentions and interventions to the quality of medication use among older adults.

Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blockers and Kidney Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Early trials of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (DCCBs) suggest a detrimental effect on intraglomerular pressure and an association with albuminuria. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the associations of DCCB initiation with albuminuria and kidney failure with replacement therapy (KFRT) and to determine whether renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade modified these associations. DESIGN: We conducted a target trial emulation study using a new user, active comparator design and electronic health record data from Geisinger Health. PARTICIPANTS: We included patients without severe albuminuria or KFRT who were initiated on a DCCB or thiazide (active comparator) between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2019. MAIN MEASURES: Using inverse probability of treatment weighting, we performed doubly robust Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the association of DCCB initiation with incident severe albuminuria (urine albumin to creatinine ratio > 300 mg/g) and KFRT, overall and stratified by RAS blocker use. KEY RESULTS: There were 11,747 and 26,758 eligible patients initiating a DCCB and thiazide, respectively, with a weighted baseline mean age of 60 years, systolic blood pressure of 143 mm Hg, and eGFR of 86 mL/min/1.73 m2, and with a mean follow-up of 8 years. Compared with thiazides, DCCBs were significantly associated with the development of severe albuminuria (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-1.43), with attenuation of risk in the presence of RAS blockade (P for interaction < 0.001). The risk of KFRT was increased among patients without RAS blockade (HR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.19-2.31), but not with RAS blockade (P for interaction = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: DCCBs were associated with increased risk of albuminuria and, in the absence of RAS blockade, KFRT. These findings suggest coupling DCCB therapy with RAS blockade may mitigate adverse kidney outcomes.

Association of Sevelamer Initiation with Gastrointestinal Bleeding Hospitalization in Individuals Requiring Hemodialysis.

Introduction Case reports have suggested a causative role between sevelamer use and subsequent gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), but no large observational studies have evaluated this association. Methods Using the United States Renal Data System database from 2015 to 2019, we examined the association between initiation of sevelamer (versus non-sevelamer containing phosphate binders) and GIB hospitalization as well as all-cause mortality among individuals on hemodialysis. We emulated a target trial using Cox regression models and inverse probability of treatment weights to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HR) across outcomes and subgroups. Results Among 21,354 new users of phosphate binders (11,276 sevelamer and 10,078 non-sevelamer) with baseline lab data (calcium, phosphorus, hemoglobin, and albumin), there were 2,811 GIB hospitalizations and 5,920 deaths after a median follow-up of 1.3 years. Compared with the initiation of non-sevelamer binders, sevelamer was not associated with an increased risk of GIB hospitalization (89 vs. 90 events per 1000 person-years; IPTW-HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.91 - 1.06) or all-cause mortality (220 vs. 224 events per 1000 person-years; IPTW-HR 0.98 95% CI 0.93 - 1.03). Subgroup analyses (such as diabetes and anti-coagulation use) were generally consistent, and there was no association between sevelamer dose and GIB hospitalization. Conclusion Among patients requiring hemodialysis, sevelamer (vs non-sevelamer) containing phosphate binders was not associated with increased risk of GIB hospitalization.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and the risk of atrial fibrillation in adults with diabetes: a real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) have cardiovascular benefits in type 2 diabetes, but none of the cardiovascular trials studied atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter (AF) as a primary endpoint. Data from post-marketing surveillance studies remains sparse. OBJECTIVE: To examine the real-world risk of AF comparing GLP-1RA with other non-insulin glucose-lowering agents. DESIGN: Cohort study using de-identified electronic health record data from the Optum Labs Data Warehouse. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients with diabetes who were newly prescribed add-on non-insulin glucose-lowering agents and were on metformin between 2005-2020. EXPOSURES: New users of GLP-1RA were separately compared with new users of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), using 1:1 propensity score matching to adjust for differences in patient characteristics. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was incident AF, defined and captured by diagnosis code for AF. Incidence rate difference (IRD) and hazard ratio (HR) were estimated in the matched cohorts. KEY RESULTS: In the matched cohort of 14,566 pairs of GLP-1RA and DPP4i followed for a median of 3.8 years, GLP-1RA use was associated with a lower risk of AF (IRD, -1.0; 95% CI, -1.8 to -0.2 per 1000 person-years; HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.96). In the matched cohort of 9,424 pairs of patients on GLP-1RA and SGLT2i with a median follow-up of 2.9 years, there was no difference in the risk for AF (IRD, 0.4; 95% CI -0.7 to 1.5 per 1000 person-years; HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.42). CONCLUSIONS: In this real-word study, GLP-1RA was associated with a lower risk of AF compared with DPP4i, but no difference compared with SGLT2i, suggesting that cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1RA use may extend to prevention for AF in patients with diabetes. Our findings call for future randomized controlled trials to focus on the effects of GLP-1RA on AF prevention.

Baclofen and the risk of fall and fracture in older adults: A real-world cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The growth of oral muscle relaxant prescriptions among older adults in the United States is concerning due to the drugs' adverse sedative effects. Baclofen is a gamma-aminobutyric acid agonist muscle relaxant that is associated with encephalopathy. We characterized the risk of fall and fracture associated with oral baclofen against other muscle relaxants (tizanidine or cyclobenzaprine) in older adults. METHODS: We designed a new-user, active-comparator study using tertiary health system data from Geisinger Health, Pennsylvania (January 2005 through December 2018). Older adults (aged ≥65 years) newly treated with baclofen, tizanidine, or cyclobenzaprine were included. Propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance the treatment groups on 58 baseline characteristics. Fine-Gray competing risk regression was used to estimate the risk of fall and fracture. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised of 2205 new baclofen users, 1103 new tizanidine users, and 9708 new cyclobenzaprine users. During a median follow-up of 100 days, baclofen was associated with a higher risk of fall compared to tizanidine (IPTW incidence rate, 108.4 vs. 61.9 per 1000 person-years; subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR], 1.68 [95% CI, 1.20-2.36]). The risk of fall associated with baclofen was comparable to cyclobenzaprine (SHR, 1.17 [95% CI, 0.93-1.47]) with a median follow-up of 106 days. The risk of fracture was similar among patients treated with baclofen versus tizanidine (SHR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.63-1.14]) or cyclobenzaprine (SHR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.67-1.07]). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of fall associated with baclofen was greater than tizanidine, but not compared to cyclobenzaprine in older adults. The risk of fracture was comparable among the older users of baclofen, tizanidine, and cyclobenzaprine. Our findings may inform risk-benefit considerations in the increasingly common clinical encounters where oral muscle relaxants are prescribed.

Association of eGFR and Albuminuria with Venous Thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: CKD has been implicated as a risk factor of venous thromboembolism, but the evidence is limited to relatively healthy populations. The objective of this study was to discern whether parameters of kidney function and damage are associated with the occurrence of venous thromboembolism after hospitalization. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including 23,899 and 11,552 adult individuals hospitalized within Geisinger Health System and New York University (NYU) Langone Health from 2004 to 2019 and 2012 to 2022, respectively. A Poisson model was used to evaluate adjusted incidence rates of venous thromboembolism according to eGFR and albuminuria categories in each cohort. Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze associations of eGFR and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) with venous thromboembolism, and hazard ratios (HRs) were meta-analyzed across cohorts. RESULTS: Both lower eGFR and higher UACR were associated with higher risks of venous thromboembolism. In the Geisinger cohort, the incidence of venous thromboembolism after hospital discharge ranged from 10.7 (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.2 to 12.6) events per 1000 person-years in individuals in G1A1 (eGFR >90 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 and UACR <30 mg/g) to 27.7 (95% CI, 20.6 to 37.2) events per 1000 person-years in individuals with G4-5A3 (eGFR <30 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 and UACR >300 mg/g). A similar pattern was observed in the NYU cohort. Meta-analyses of the two cohorts showed that every 10 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 reduction in eGFR below 60 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 was associated with a 6% higher risk of venous thromboembolism (HR 1.06 [95% CI, 1.02 to 1.11], P = 0.01), and each two-fold higher UACR was associated with a 5% higher risk of venous thromboembolism (HR 1.05 [95% CI, 1.03 to 1.07], P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Both eGFR and UACR were independently associated with higher risk of venous thromboembolism after hospitalization. The incidence rate was higher with greater severity of CKD.

Associations of Apixaban Dose With Safety and Effectiveness Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Severe Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations for apixaban dosing on the basis of kidney function are inconsistent between the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency for patients with atrial fibrillation. Optimal apixaban dosing in chronic kidney disease remains unknown. METHODS: With the use of deidentified electronic health record data from the Optum Labs Data Warehouse, patients with atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease stage 4/5 initiating apixaban between 2013 and 2021 were identified. Risks of bleeding and stroke/systemic embolism were compared by apixaban dose (5 versus 2.5 mg), adjusted for baseline characteristics by the inverse probability of treatment weighting. The Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model was used to account for the competing risk of death. Cox regression was used to examine risk of death by apixaban dose. RESULTS: Among 4313 apixaban new users, 1705 (40%) received 5 mg and 2608 (60%) received 2.5 mg. Patients treated with 5 mg apixaban were younger (mean age, 72 versus 80 years), with greater weight (95 versus 80 kg) and higher serum creatinine (2.7 versus 2.5 mg/dL). Mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was not different between the groups (24 versus 24 mL·min-1·1.73 m-2). In inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis, apixaban 5 mg was associated with a higher risk of bleeding (incidence rate 4.9 versus 2.9 events per 100 person-years; incidence rate difference, 2.0 [95% CI, 0.6-3.4] events per 100 person-years; subdistribution hazard ratio, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.04-2.54]). There was no difference between apixaban 5 mg and 2.5 mg groups in the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (3.3 versus 3.0 events per 100 person-years; incidence rate difference, 0.2 [95% CI, -1.0 to 1.4] events per 100 person-years; subdistribution hazard ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.59-1.73]), or death (9.9 versus 9.4 events per 100 person-years; incidence rate difference, 0.5 [95% CI, -1.6 to 2.6] events per 100 person-years; hazard ratio, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.77-1.38]). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with 2.5 mg, use of 5 mg apixaban was associated with a higher risk of bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation and severe chronic kidney disease, with no difference in the risk of stroke/systemic embolism or death, supporting the apixaban dosing recommendations on the basis of kidney function by the European Medicines Agency, which differ from those issued by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Baclofen and the Risk of Encephalopathy: A Real-World, Active-Comparator Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the risk of encephalopathy associated with oral baclofen compared with other muscle relaxants-tizanidine or cyclobenzaprine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a new-user, active-comparator study of 2 pairwise cohorts using tertiary health system data from Geisinger Health in Pennsylvania (January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2018). Adults (aged ≥18 years) newly treated with baclofen or tizanidine were included in cohort 1. Adults newly treated with baclofen or cyclobenzaprine were included in cohort 2. Propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance the respective cohorts on 45 patient characteristics. Fine-Gray competing risk regression was used to estimate the risk of encephalopathy. RESULTS: Cohort 1 included 16,192 new baclofen users and 9782 new tizanidine users. The 30-day risk of encephalopathy was higher in patients treated with baclofen vs tizanidine (IPTW incidence rate, 64.7 vs 28.3 per 1000 person-years) with an IPTW subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) of 2.29 (95% CI, 1.43 to 3.67). This risk persisted through 1 year (SHR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.07 to 1.64]). Similarly in cohort 2, baclofen vs cyclobenzaprine was associated with a greater risk of encephalopathy at 30 days (SHR, 2.35 [95% CI, 1.59 to 3.48]) that persisted through the first year of treatment (SHR, 1.94 [95% CI, 1.56 to 2.40]). CONCLUSION: The risk of encephalopathy was greater with baclofen vs tizanidine or cyclobenzaprine use. The elevated risk was apparent as early as 30 days and persisted through the first year of treatment. Our findings from routine care settings may inform shared treatment decisions between patients and prescribers.

Major cardiovascular events and subsequent risk of kidney failure with replacement therapy: a CKD Prognosis Consortium study.

AIMS: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Less is known about how CVD associates with future risk of kidney failure with replacement therapy (KFRT). METHODS AND RESULTS: The study included 25 903 761 individuals from the CKD Prognosis Consortium with known baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and evaluated the impact of prevalent and incident coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, heart failure (HF), and atrial fibrillation (AF) events as time-varying exposures on KFRT outcomes. Mean age was 53 (standard deviation 17) years and mean eGFR was 89 mL/min/1.73 m2, 15% had diabetes and 8.4% had urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) available (median 13 mg/g); 9.5% had prevalent CHD, 3.2% prior stroke, 3.3% HF, and 4.4% prior AF. During follow-up, there were 269 142 CHD, 311 021 stroke, 712 556 HF, and 605 596 AF incident events and 101 044 (0.4%) patients experienced KFRT. Both prevalent and incident CVD were associated with subsequent KFRT with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of 3.1 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.9-3.3], 2.0 (1.9-2.1), 4.5 (4.2-4.9), 2.8 (2.7-3.1) after incident CHD, stroke, HF and AF, respectively. HRs were highest in first 3 months post-CVD incidence declining to baseline after 3 years. Incident HF hospitalizations showed the strongest association with KFRT [HR 46 (95% CI: 43-50) within 3 months] after adjustment for other CVD subtype incidence. CONCLUSION: Incident CVD events strongly and independently associate with future KFRT risk, most notably after HF, then CHD, stroke, and AF. Optimal strategies for addressing the dramatic risk of KFRT following CVD events are needed.

Associations of Late-Life Sleep Medication Use With Incident Dementia in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep medications may contribute to dementia development or indicate sleep disturbances that are markers of or contributors to neurologic disease. The objective of this study was to examine the use of sleep medications and incident dementia in a community-based cohort of older adults. We hypothesize late-life sleep medication use is associated with a greater risk of dementia. METHODS: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study is an ongoing community-based cohort study. ARIC participants taking barbiturates, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, non-benzodiazepine receptor agonists (Z-drugs), or other hypnotics in 2011-2013 were categorized as sleep medication users. Participants were followed through 2019 for incident dementia. Logistic regression propensity scores were used to match sleep medication users with nonusers (1:2). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for time to dementia diagnosis with adjustment for demographics, lifestyle characteristics, and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: One-quarter of the eligible ARIC participants used sleep medications. In the matched sample (N = 4 197; 69% female; mean age 75.3 + 5.0 years), 632 dementia cases were ascertained over a median follow-up of 6.5 years. In the fully adjusted model, sleep medication use compared to nonuse was associated with a 48% greater risk of dementia (HR: 1.48; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26-1.74). CONCLUSION: To expand on these findings, studies with longer follow-up and earlier assessment of sleep medication use are needed. Furthermore investigation of the potential dose-response association of multiple sleep medications and the potential causal role of sleep medications in the development of dementia may be clinically meaningful.

Racial Differences in Trends and Prognosis of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy for Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Surveillance Study.

BACKGROUND: Racial disparities in guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) have not been fully documented in a community setting. METHODS: In the ARIC Surveillance Study (2005-2014), we examined racial differences in GDMT at discharge, its temporal trends, and the prognostic impact among individuals with hospitalized HFrEF, using weighted regression models to account for sampling design. Optimal GDMT was defined as beta blockers (BB), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) and ACE inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB). Acceptable GDMT included either one of BB, MRA, ACEI/ARB or hydralazine plus nitrates (H-N). RESULTS: Of 16,455 (unweighted n = 3,669) HFrEF cases, 47% were Black. Only ~ 10% were discharged with optimal GDMT with higher proportion in Black than White individuals (11.1% vs. 8.6%, p < 0.001). BB use was > 80% in both racial groups while Black individuals were more likely to receive ACEI/ARB (62.0% vs. 54.6%) and MRA (18.0% vs. 13.8%) than Whites, with a similar pattern for H-N (21.8% vs. 10.1%). There was a trend of decreasing use of optimal GDMT in both groups, with significant decline of ACEI/ARB use in Whites (- 2.8% p < 0.01) but increasing H-N use in both groups (+ 6.5% and + 9.2%, p < 0.01). Only ACEI/ARB and BB were associated with lower 1-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal GDMT was prescribed in only ~ 10% of HFrEF patients at discharge but was more so in Black than White individuals. ACEI/ARB use declined in Whites while H-N use increased in both races. GDMT utilization, particularly ACEI/ARB, should be improved in Black and Whites individuals with HFrEF.

Glucose-Lowering Agents and the Risk of Hypoglycemia: a Real-world Study.

BACKGROUND: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) are increasingly recommended in type 2 diabetes. Hypoglycemia is a serious adverse effect of glucose-lowering agents. Real-world comparison of hypoglycemic risks among SGLT2i, GLP1RA, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP4i), and sulfonylureas is limited. OBJECTIVE: Quantify the risk of hypoglycemia associated with SGLT2i, GLP1RA, DPP4i, and sulfonylureas (the primary reference group). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study conducted using electronic health records from Geisinger Health, Pennsylvania (2015-2019). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 10,713 patients with type 2 diabetes who newly received SGLT2i (n=1487), GLP1RA (n=1241), DPP4i (n=2938), or sulfonylureas (n=5047). Propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to balance patient characteristics across four treatment groups simultaneously. MAIN MEASURES: Hypoglycemia was defined as capillary blood glucose <70 mg/dL; severe hypoglycemia was defined as capillary blood glucose <54 mg/dL. A weighted Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the risk of outcomes for pairwise comparisons of SGTL2i, GLP1RA, DPP4i, and sulfonylureas. KEY RESULTS: Median follow-up was 21.3 months. Compared with sulfonylureas, the risk of hypoglycemia was lower with SGLT2i (hazard ratio 0.60 [95% confidence interval 0.48-0.75]), GLP1RA (0.49 [0.34-0.69]), and DPP4i (0.60 [0.48-0.78]). The risk of severe hypoglycemia was also lower with SGLT2i (0.43 [0.35-0.74]), GLP1RA (0.50 [0.28-0.87]), and DPP4i (0.64 [0.46-0.90]) compared to sulfonylureas. The risks of hypoglycemia and severe hypoglycemia were similar across the SGLT2i, GLP1RA, and DPP4i groups (SGLT2i vs. DPP4i: 0.95 [0.67-1.34]; GLP1RA vs. DPP4i: 0.81 [0.55-1.19]; SGLT2i vs. GLP1RA: 1.17 [0.76-1.82] for hypoglycemia). CONCLUSION: SGLT2i and GLP1RA confer a lower risk of hypoglycemia compared with sulfonylureas and similar risk compared with DPP4i. Given the known cardiovascular benefits associated with SGLT2i and GL1PRA, our results suggesting the safety of SGLT2i and GL1PRA further support their use.

The association between socioeconomic status and use of potentially inappropriate medications in older adults.

BACKGROUND: Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use is an important public health problem, particularly among older adults who may need multiple pharmacologic therapies for various chronic conditions. As socioeconomic status (SES) affects the quality of healthcare that individuals receive, SES may be associated with the use of PIM in older adults. This study aimed to determine whether low SES is associated with increased use of PIM. METHODS: We studied 4927 participants (aged 66-90 years) who were on at least one medication at visit five (2011-2013) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. We created a cumulative SES score categorized as high (7-9), middle (3-6), and low (0-2) based on education, income, and area deprivation index. We use multivariable logistic regression to examine the associations between SES and use of two or more PIM for older adults, defined by the 2019 Beers Criteria. RESULTS: A total of 31.0% and 6.9% of the participants used one or more PIM and two or more PIM, respectively. After adjusting for demographic characteristics and insurance type, low cumulative SES score was associated with significantly greater use of two or more PIM (odds ratio [OR] = 1.83 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18-2.86]), as was middle cumulative SES score (OR = 1.40 [95% CI 1.06-1.83]), compared to high cumulative SES score. The results remained significant after further adjusting for comorbidities and medication burden for low cumulative SES score (OR = 1.66 [95%CI 1.02-2.71]). CONCLUSIONS: We found that lower SES was associated with greater use of PIM among older adults independent of their medication burden and comorbidities, suggesting socioeconomic disparities in quality of medication management. Focused efforts targeting older adults with low SES to reduce PIM use may be needed to prevent adverse drug events.