Use of digoxin, diuretics, beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers in older patients in an academic hospital-based geriatrics practice.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of and indications for digoxin use and the prevalence of beta blocker and calcium channel blocker use in older patients with previous myocardial infarction or coronary artery disease (CAD), and the prevalence of use of diuretics, beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers in older patients with hypertension in an academic hospital-based geriatrics practice.

Design: A retrospective analysis of charts from 528 unselected older patients, seen from June 1995 through July 1996 at an academic hospital-based geriatrics practice, was performed to investigate the prevalence of digoxin use and indications for digoxin use, the prevalence of beta blocker and calcium channel blocker use in older patients with previous myocardial infarction or coronary artery disease (CAD), and the prevalence of use of diuretics, beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers in older patients with hypertension.

Setting: An academic hospital-based, primary care geriatrics practice staffed by fellows in a geriatrics training program and full-time faculty geriatricians.

Patients: A total of 416 women and 112 men, mean age 81 +/- 8 years (range 58 to 101), were included in the study.

Measurements And Main Results: Ninety-two of the 528 patients (17%) were taking digoxin. Recorded indications for digoxin were atrial fibrillation with or without congestive heart failure (CHF) in 39% of patients, CHF with sinus rhythm and abnormal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in 18% of patients, a clinical assessment of CHF with sinus rhythm and no recorded measurement of LVEF in 20% of patients, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in 14% of patients, and coronary artery disease (CAD) in 9% of patients. Of 121 patients with previous myocardial infarction, 23 (19%) were prescribed beta blockers, and 54 (45%) were taking calcium channel blockers. Of 173 patients with CAD, 41 (24%) were treated with beta blockers, and 79 (46%) were taking calcium channel blockers. LVEF was not recorded in the charts of 90 of 121 patients (74%) with prior myocardial infarction and of 125 of 173 patients (72%) with CAD. Of 480 older patients with hypertension, 154 (37%) were treated with diuretics, 55 (13%) were treated with beta blockers, 160 (38%) were treated with ACE inhibitors, and 197 (47%) were treated with calcium channel blockers.

Conclusions: In 528 older patients seen in an academic hospital-based geriatrics practice, the prevalence of digoxin use was 19%. Appropriate indications for digoxin were documented clearly in the charts of 53 of 92 patients (57%). Calcium channel blockers were used more often than beta blockers in patients with previous myocardial infarction or CAD. Calcium channel blockers were the most frequently used antihypertensive drugs.