Evolution of drug intake in the elderly.

Purpose. - Although overprescription and overconsumption of drugs are commo n in the elderly, their features are still not well known since retrospecti ve data on drug intake in this population is very limited. This study was t herefore aimed at assessing the evolution of drug intake in the elderly Methods. - In a study undertaken in the context of the PAQUID project, drug intake was assessed in a group of elderly subjects living at home in eithe r Gironde or Dordogne in south-western France. Each subject was visited by an investigator in successively 1988-89, 1991-92, 1993-94, and 1996-97 Thre e thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven subjects were included in the st udy since 1988. Their mean age was 75.4 years (CI 95%: 75.2-75.6 years) and the sex ratio was 0.72. Results. - Eighty-nine percent of the subjects took at least one drug per d ay; 49% took one to four drugs per day; and 40% took more then five drugs p er day. The total drug consumption showed an increase in drug intake during the 8-year follow-up, whether the subjects were or not dependent according to their IADL score. Conclusion. - Analysis of drug intake evolution according to age, sex and d aily drug intake at inclusion in the study showed that during follow-up dru g intake increased in younger people who had no treatment at study inclusio n, while it decreased in older subjects receiving multiple medications. Thi s decrease might be due to either adverse side-effects, drug interactions, or repeated episodes of hospitalization. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.