Drug consumption in elderly subjects with occult fasting hyperglycaemia

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Endocrinology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Occult fasting hyperglycemia is a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
• Cardiovascular disease is a major comorbidity in diabetic and prediabetic populations.
• Drug consumption patterns in elderly individuals with undiagnosed hyperglycemia are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare daily drug consumption between elderly individuals with occult fasting hyperglycemia and age- and sex-matched non-diabetic controls.
• To identify specific medication classes with differential use in these groups.
• To infer potential health implications, particularly cardiovascular morbidity.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 87 individuals with occult fasting hyperglycemia and matched controls (aged 60-74).
• Drug use (prescribed and nonprescribed) assessed via questionnaires and interviews.
• Comparison of daily drug use prevalence and medication group usage between the two groups.

Main Results:

• Sixty-nine percent of subjects with hyperglycemia used drugs daily versus 46% of controls (P < 0.005).
• Cardiovascular medication use was significantly higher in the hyperglycemia group (59%) compared to controls (27%) (P < 0.0001).
• No significant differences observed in other medication groups; median daily doses were comparable.

Conclusions:

• Elderly individuals with occult fasting hyperglycemia exhibit increased daily drug consumption, especially for cardiovascular conditions.
• These findings suggest potentially higher cardiovascular disease morbidity in this population.
• Results align with drug consumption patterns observed in elderly individuals with diagnosed diabetes.