Objectives: Alcohol and medication use are increasingly prevalent in the older population. Concurrent use of alcohol and alcohol-interactive (AI) medication can lead to significant adverse consequences.
Methods: Three reference works were used to create an explicit list of drug substances for which information about the interaction with alcohol was available in at least one of them. Additional information was extracted from the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). The first aim was to generate a list of 256 substances with standardized advice regarding the concurrent use of each drug with alcohol. The second aim was to observe the prevalence of potential drug-alcohol-interactions. The list was applied to a database containing information about alcohol and medication use of 1,016 community-dwelling older patients (≥70 years) with polypharmacy.
Results: About half of the sample population reported to consume alcohol at least once a week. Around 22% were classified as frequent drinkers (5-7 days/week) and 11% as heavier drinkers (>7 units/week). Ninety-three percent alcohol consumers in our sample took at least one chronic drug that potentially interacts with alcohol and 42% used at least one chronic drug for which alcohol use is considered contraindicated.
Conclusions: We developed an explicit list of potentially drug-alcohol-interactions in older adults, with standardized handling advice. We observed that prevalence of potential drug-alcohol-interactions is substantial in community-dwelling older patients with polypharmacy.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/dmdi-2020-0183 | DOI Listing |
Neurology
January 2025
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Background And Objectives: Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) represents the ability of cerebral blood vessels to regulate blood flow in response to vasoactive stimuli and is related to cognition in cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative conditions. However, few studies have examined CVR in the medial temporal lobe, known to be affected early in Alzheimer disease and to influence memory function. We aimed to examine whether medial temporal CVR is associated with memory function in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.
Background: Treadmill belt perturbations have high clinical feasibility for use in perturbation-based training in older people, but their kinematic validity is unclear. This study examined the kinematic validity of treadmill belt accelerations as a surrogate for overground walkway trips during gait in older people.
Methods: Thirty-eight community-dwelling older people were exposed to two unilateral belt accelerations (8 m s-2) whilst walking on a split-belt treadmill and two trips induced by a 14 cm trip-board whilst walking on a walkway with condition presentation randomised.
QJM
January 2025
HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Background: The optimal approach to the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in primary care is unclear.
Aim: To determine if external loop recorder (ELR) screening improves atrial fibrillation detection in community dwelling adults with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of greater than two.
Design: Randomised cross-over clinical trial.
Geroscience
January 2025
Center for Aging and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 310 BelPB, 130 N. Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
Unintentional weight loss in older populations is linked to greater mortality and morbidity risks. This study aims to understand the metabolic mechanisms of unintentional weight loss and their relationship with body composition changes in older adults. We investigated plasma metabolite associations with weight and body composition changes over 5 years in 1335 participants (mean age 73.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Infect Dis
December 2024
Public Health Ontario; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Unity Health Toronto.
Background: Shorter courses of antibiotic therapy are increasingly recommended to reduce antibiotic exposure. However quantifying the real-world impact of duration of therapy is hindered by bias common in observational studies. We aimed to evaluate the harms and benefits of longer versus shorter duration of therapy in older adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!