Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this is study is to evaluate the use of Beers list drugs among adults 40-64 and 65+ and to evaluate the use of Beers list drug use and healthcare use in those 65+.  

Background

Inappropriate prescribing of the Beers list medications, published by the American Geriatric Society, has been associated with an increased risk of hospitalization and mortality. Potential harm from these agents includes increased fall risk and mortality. Studies have documented how often inappropriate medications have been prescribed and their potential adverse events in the geriatric population; however, no national studies have evaluated the association of Beers list drug use and healthcare use. 

Methods  

This study was an observational cohort study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohort years 2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2018. The primary exposure-outcome was the use of Beers list medications. Factors of interest were whether participants received healthcare over the past year, had overnight hospital visits in the past year, and if they had health insurance. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression models evaluated the association of Beers list use and healthcare use. Crude and adjusted odds ratio with a 95% CI and an alpha level of 5% was used. IBM SPSS version 27 was utilized. 

Results  

The final cohort included 11,463 survey participants, with 4,184 (29.0%) participants 65 years or older on at least one Beers list drug versus 20.7% of those 40-64, (p≤0.0005). Among the 65+ participants, those on Beers list drugs were 2.202 times more likely to have health insurance coverage, 1.919 times more likely to have overnight hospital stays, and 5.380 times more likely to utilize healthcare in the past year (p<0.05 for all models) compared to those who were not on Beers list drugs. 

Conclusion  

A positive association of Beers list drug use in those over 65 years old and healthcare use was found in this study. Controlling demographic predictors made a small impact on their association. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to evaluate the causal association relation of Beers list drug use and healthcare use.