The Prevalence of Polypharmacy and the Contribution of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Sweden From 2006 to 2020
ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the age, period, and cohort effects of polypharmacy in older adults using Swedish register data covering the period 2006 to 2020. Design Repeated cross‐sectional study using routinely‐collected health care data. Setting Nationwide, Sweden. Participants A 10% random...
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Wiley
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Health Science Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70778 |
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| author | Theodore T. Miao Malin Ericsson Jonas W. Wastesson |
| author_facet | Theodore T. Miao Malin Ericsson Jonas W. Wastesson |
| author_sort | Theodore T. Miao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the age, period, and cohort effects of polypharmacy in older adults using Swedish register data covering the period 2006 to 2020. Design Repeated cross‐sectional study using routinely‐collected health care data. Setting Nationwide, Sweden. Participants A 10% random sample was drawn each year from the source population of all adults aged ≥ 65 in Sweden, 2006–2020 (cumulative n > 3,000,000). Measurement Polypharmacy was defined as the use of ≥ 5 medicines. Drug data were extracted from the National Prescribed Drug Register (NPDR) Medication use was assessed on 1st January (1‐day point prevalence) each year based on the drug duration episodes. Age‐Period‐Cohort analysis was conducted to explore these effects. Results Overall, 32.8% of older adults was exposed to polypharmacy in 2020 compared to 28.6% in 2006. This increase was more pronounced among individuals aged 85 to 89, from while the prevalence remained relatively steady among those aged 65 to 84. In the formal Age‐Period‐Cohort analysis, the cohort differences were weak for polypharmacy, but more prevalent for specific medication classes. Conclusion Polypharmacy is mainly influenced by age and period effects, but not by cohort. The rise in polypharmacy is primarily propelled by an increased pace in medication use among individuals aged 75 to 89 years. These findings can provide valuable insights for making effective strategies aimed at reducing polypharmacy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d0ba62c12e2545c3b2e92a8394c8e498 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2398-8835 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Science Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-d0ba62c12e2545c3b2e92a8394c8e4982025-08-20T03:41:00ZengWileyHealth Science Reports2398-88352025-05-0185n/an/a10.1002/hsr2.70778The Prevalence of Polypharmacy and the Contribution of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Sweden From 2006 to 2020Theodore T. Miao0Malin Ericsson1Jonas W. Wastesson2Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University Stockholm SwedenAging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University Stockholm SwedenAging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University Stockholm SwedenABSTRACT Objective To investigate the age, period, and cohort effects of polypharmacy in older adults using Swedish register data covering the period 2006 to 2020. Design Repeated cross‐sectional study using routinely‐collected health care data. Setting Nationwide, Sweden. Participants A 10% random sample was drawn each year from the source population of all adults aged ≥ 65 in Sweden, 2006–2020 (cumulative n > 3,000,000). Measurement Polypharmacy was defined as the use of ≥ 5 medicines. Drug data were extracted from the National Prescribed Drug Register (NPDR) Medication use was assessed on 1st January (1‐day point prevalence) each year based on the drug duration episodes. Age‐Period‐Cohort analysis was conducted to explore these effects. Results Overall, 32.8% of older adults was exposed to polypharmacy in 2020 compared to 28.6% in 2006. This increase was more pronounced among individuals aged 85 to 89, from while the prevalence remained relatively steady among those aged 65 to 84. In the formal Age‐Period‐Cohort analysis, the cohort differences were weak for polypharmacy, but more prevalent for specific medication classes. Conclusion Polypharmacy is mainly influenced by age and period effects, but not by cohort. The rise in polypharmacy is primarily propelled by an increased pace in medication use among individuals aged 75 to 89 years. These findings can provide valuable insights for making effective strategies aimed at reducing polypharmacy.https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70778cohort analysisdrugepidemiologymedicationpolypharmacy |
| spellingShingle | Theodore T. Miao Malin Ericsson Jonas W. Wastesson The Prevalence of Polypharmacy and the Contribution of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Sweden From 2006 to 2020 Health Science Reports cohort analysis drug epidemiology medication polypharmacy |
| title | The Prevalence of Polypharmacy and the Contribution of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Sweden From 2006 to 2020 |
| title_full | The Prevalence of Polypharmacy and the Contribution of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Sweden From 2006 to 2020 |
| title_fullStr | The Prevalence of Polypharmacy and the Contribution of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Sweden From 2006 to 2020 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Prevalence of Polypharmacy and the Contribution of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Sweden From 2006 to 2020 |
| title_short | The Prevalence of Polypharmacy and the Contribution of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Sweden From 2006 to 2020 |
| title_sort | prevalence of polypharmacy and the contribution of age period and cohort effects in sweden from 2006 to 2020 |
| topic | cohort analysis drug epidemiology medication polypharmacy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70778 |
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