Ae. Stuck et al., GENDER DIFFERENCES IN MEDICATION USE BY C OMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER PERSONS - AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY IN BERN, SWITZERLAND, Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 28(6), 1995, pp. 394-400
The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences of medicat
ion use in a random sample of community-dwelling elderly subjects (N =
791). The average number of different medications in women (N = 578)
was higher than in men (N = 213) (4.0 vs. 3.5, age corrected ratio 1.2
, 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.3). However, despite this relatively
small difference in number of medications there was a major gender dif
ference in the pattern of medications used. Compared to men, women had
a higher use of benzodiazepines (risk ratio 1.7, 95% confidence inter
val, 1.3-2.3), diuretics (1.5, 1.1-2.0), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory
agents (1.7, 1.2-2.3), and antidepressants (2.5, 1.1-5.5), but a lowe
r use of pulmonary (0.5, 0.3-0.9) and gout medications (0.2, 0.1-0.6).
These gender differences in medication use can be explained by the fa
ct that compared to men, women have a higher prevalence of non-lethal
chronic conditions such as degenerative joint disease and hypertension
. However, additional factors such as gender-specific differences in p
atient or physician behavior are likely to contribute to the observed
differences in medication use as well. Overall, 36% of all women and 2
1% of all men were using benzodiazepines, with 42% of these subjects u
sing long-acting compounds. Furthermore, 24% of all women and 15% of a
ll men reported use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents for which
safer medication and non-medication alternatives would be available in
many cases. Thus, women had a higher risk of inappropriate medication
use than men. On the other hand, the finding that antidepressant use
was 3% in men and 7% in women indicates that compared to women, men mi
ght be at increased risk for undertreatment of depression. Further cau
sal evaluation of gender differences in both medication use and patien
t-physician interaction might contribute to detection and reduction of
inappropriate drug use in older persons.