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Potentially inappropriate medication use by elderly Mexican Americans
Mukaila A Raji1, Glenn V Ostir, Kyriakos S Markides
1Memory Loss Clinics and The University of Texas Medical Branch Geriatric Fellowship Training Program, Sealy Center on Aging, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0460, USA. muraji@utmb.edu
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|August 19, 2003
Summary
Inappropriate medication use in older Mexican Americans is less common than in other groups. Factors like chronic disease and depression increase risk, highlighting a need for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric pharmacology
- Public health
- Health disparities
Background:
- Inappropriate medication use in the elderly is a significant public health issue.
- Previous research shows high rates in White and African American elderly populations.
- Data on inappropriate medication use in older Mexican Americans was previously unavailable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of inappropriate prescription medication use among older Mexican Americans.
- To identify predictors associated with inappropriate medication use in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 3050 Mexican Americans aged 65 and older in the southwestern US.
- In-home interviews conducted in 1993-1994 to collect prescription medication data.
- Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were employed to assess prevalence and risk factors.
Main Results:
- Approximately 12% of participants used at least one of 32 potentially inappropriate medications.
- Four specific drugs (chlorpropamide, propoxyphene, amitriptyline, dipyridamole) comprised 54% of inappropriate prescriptions.
- Predictors of inappropriate use included being unmarried, having chronic diseases, high depressive symptoms, frequent physician visits, and dual Medicare/Medicaid insurance.
Conclusions:
- The prevalence of inappropriate medication use is lower in older Mexican Americans compared to White and African American populations.
- Further research is recommended to understand prescribing patterns over time.
- Intervention programs are needed to mitigate adverse health outcomes in at-risk older Mexican Americans.