Scholarlink

Background <p>Loneliness is associated with high-risk medication use in older adults in cross-sectional studies, but the direction of this relationship is unclear.</p> Objective <p>The aim of this study was to examine the association between loneliness and initiation of potentially inappropriate pain and psychotropic medications, and test for sex interactions.</p> Methods <p>We conducted a retrospective cohort study of community-dwelling respondents to the Canadian Community Health Survey—Healthy Aging who were interviewed between December 1, 2008, and November 30, 2009, aged ≥66 years, and Ontario residents. Self-reported loneliness was defined at baseline as a score of ≥6 on the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Survey responses were linked to health records; respondents were followed for 3 years to assess initiation of a potentially inappropriate pain or psychotropic medication, defined using the 2019 American Geriatrics Society’s Beers Criteria. We used weighted Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and tested for sex interactions.</p> Results <p>Of 2348 respondents (female 54.6%, mean age 75.4 years), 383 (12.3%) were lonely. Compared with those who were not lonely, lonely female respondents had higher rates of initiating potentially inappropriate pain medications (HR at 90 days: 1.57, 95% CI 0.96–2.27; 630 days: 1.52, 95% CI 1.05–2.12; 1080 days: 3.22, 95% CI 1.22–7.78) and potentially inappropriate psychotropic medications, but the latter estimates were imprecise. No association was found in males.</p> Conclusion <p>Lonely older females initiate potentially inappropriate pain and psychotropic medications at higher rates than those who are not lonely. Screening for loneliness could prioritize patients for medication reviews, possible deprescribing, and interventions that address root causes.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Loneliness and Initiation of Potentially Inappropriate Pain and Psychotropic Medications: A Retrospective Cohort Study

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月31日

查看全文
  • Rachel D. Savage,
  • Susan E. Bronskill,
  • Andrea Gruneir,
  • Alexa Boblitz,
  • Jun Guan,
  • Azmina Altaf,
  • Rachel Strauss,
  • Claudia Sanmartin,
  • Laura C. Rosella,
  • Nathan M. Stall,
  • Stephanie A. Chamberlain,
  • Lisa M. McCarthy,
  • Xuesong Wang,
  • Christina Yu,
  • Tomi Odugbemi,
  • Paula A. Rochon

摘要

Background

Loneliness is associated with high-risk medication use in older adults in cross-sectional studies, but the direction of this relationship is unclear.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the association between loneliness and initiation of potentially inappropriate pain and psychotropic medications, and test for sex interactions.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of community-dwelling respondents to the Canadian Community Health Survey—Healthy Aging who were interviewed between December 1, 2008, and November 30, 2009, aged ≥66 years, and Ontario residents. Self-reported loneliness was defined at baseline as a score of ≥6 on the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Survey responses were linked to health records; respondents were followed for 3 years to assess initiation of a potentially inappropriate pain or psychotropic medication, defined using the 2019 American Geriatrics Society’s Beers Criteria. We used weighted Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and tested for sex interactions.

Results

Of 2348 respondents (female 54.6%, mean age 75.4 years), 383 (12.3%) were lonely. Compared with those who were not lonely, lonely female respondents had higher rates of initiating potentially inappropriate pain medications (HR at 90 days: 1.57, 95% CI 0.96–2.27; 630 days: 1.52, 95% CI 1.05–2.12; 1080 days: 3.22, 95% CI 1.22–7.78) and potentially inappropriate psychotropic medications, but the latter estimates were imprecise. No association was found in males.

Conclusion

Lonely older females initiate potentially inappropriate pain and psychotropic medications at higher rates than those who are not lonely. Screening for loneliness could prioritize patients for medication reviews, possible deprescribing, and interventions that address root causes.