[Use of potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly in Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil: a population-based survey]

Abstract

The study evaluated the use of potentially inappropriate medications among elderly in Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, according to the Beers 2012 and STOPP criteria, as well as factors associated with this use. This was a cross-sectional study of 621 community-dwelling elderly using home interviews. The explanatory variables were gender, age, education, self-rated health, restriction of activities in the previous 15 days, functional capacity, history of hospital admission, number of self-reported diseases, and polypharmacy. Multivariate Poisson regression was used. There was a high prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications according to the Beers 2012 and STOPP criteria: 43.8% (95%CI: 37.8%-47.8%) and 44.8% (95%CI: 40.9%-48.8%), respectively. Female gender and polypharmacy remained independently associated with use of potentially inappropriate medications according to the Beers criteria. As for the STOPP criteria, the variables independently associated with use of potentially inappropriate medications were female gender, fair self-rated health, and polypharmacy. Efforts are needed to upgrade polypharmacy in Brazilian elders.