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Gender differences in benzodiazepines prescription in old age patients
- M. Martinez-Cengotitabengoa, A. Besga, C. Bermudez-Ampudia, A. Garcia-Alocen, I. Gonzalez-Ortega, M.P. Lopez, M.J. Diaz, N. Chicote, J. Enriquez, A. Abrain, R. Olles, S. Esnal, H. Salem, E. Cuesta, M. Duenas, A. Gonzalez-Pinto
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 33 / Issue S1 / March 2016
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 23 March 2020, p. s279
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- Article
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Objectives
To assess the prescription of benzodiazepines (BZD) in elderly patients, and to explore any gender differences.
MethodsSix hundred and fifty-four patients (≥ 65) admitted in an emergency service of a general hospital due to a fall. BZD use information was collected (dose, half-life profile).
ResultsBZD are significantly more prescribed to women (47.6%) than men (36.1%) (X2 = 8.097, P = 0.004). We conducted a logistic regression analysis using as dependent variable taking or not BZD and sex as the independent one, covariating the model by age. We noted that sex remains significant despite enter the age variable in the model (OR = 1.5, P = 0.013). A total of 21.6% of patients consumed intermediate or long half-life BZDs, appearing a greater tendency to prescribe such BZD to women (X2 = 3.606, P = 0.058). In the 58.0% of prescriptions, prescribed dose was higher than the recommended for the elderly. The percentage is significantly higher for men (70.0%) than women (53.1%). Furthermore, a total of 54 prescriptions (15.8%) were even higher than the recommended adult dose, with no significant differences between men and women.
ConclusionsWe found evidence of a higher prescription of BZD in women independently of age. Despite not being recommended, prescription of intermediate or long half-life BZD continues, in a slightly higher manner in women. BZD are prescribed above the recommended dose for elderly in a large number of patients, especially in men. A considerable proportion of elderly patients (15.8%) consume BZD doses even higher than the recommended for adults.
Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Prevalence of Dementia in an Urban Indian Population
- Chicot J. Vas, Charles Pinto, Dilip Panikker, Sandra Noronha, N. Deshpande, Leena Kulkarni, Simmi Sachdeva
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 13 / Issue 4 / December 2001
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 January 2005, pp. 439-450
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This article reports the findings of a 3-year epidemiological survey for dementia in an urban community-resident population in Mumbai (Bombay), India, wherein the prevalence of all types of dementia was determined. Method: The study was conducted in three stages. Stage 1: From a potential pool of 30,000 subjects aged 40 years or more, 24,488 (male = 11,875; female = 12,613) persons completed self-report or interviewer-rated protocols based on the Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric Scale, but 5,512 (18.37%) persons refused to participate. Scores on the protocol had a possible range from 0 through 34. Stage 2: Persons with a score +2SD above the mean were selected in this stage where the persons were screened for cognitive functioning using a modified and translated version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Individuals who scored below the 5th percentile were included in Stage 3 and underwent a detailed neurological, psychiatric, and neuropsychological evaluation as well as hematological, radiological, electrocardiographic, and electroencephalographic investigations. Diagnoses were made jointly by a neurologist, psychiatrist, and psychologist using the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Subjects were also rated on the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale and assessed for activities of daily living. Results: One hundred five subjects with dementia (CDR ≥ 0.5) were identified in this population of 24,488 persons. The prevalence rate for dementia in those aged 40 years and more was 0.43% and for persons aged 65 and above was 2.44%. Seventy-eight individuals had a CDR of ≥ 1 yielding an overall prevalence rate of 0.32%, and a prevalence rate of 1.81% for those aged 65 years and older. The overall prevalence rate for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the population was 0.25%, and 1.5% for those aged 65 years and above. AD (n = 62;65%) was the most common cause of dementia followed by vascular dementia (n = 23;22%). There were more women (n = 38) than men (n = 24) in the AD group. Increasing age was associated with a higher prevalence of the dementia syndrome in general as well as AD specifically. Conclusion: In the population surveyed, the prevalence of AD and other dementias is less than that reported from developed countries but similar to results of other studies in India. Prevalence of the dementia syndrome increased with age and was not related to gender. AD was the most common dementia and the prevalence was higher in women than in men. Results are discussed with respect to shorter life expectancy, relocation of affected persons, and differences in the risk factors as compared to developed countries.