Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A 30-year survey of drug use in the 1914 birth cohort in Glostrup County, Denmark: 1964–1994

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

    We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

    Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Abstract

Background and aims: Use of drugs increases with age. Several drugs as well as multiple drug intake are recognized risk factors for symptoms, disability, hospitalizations, and even mortality, due to side effects and problems with compliance. Yet, little is known about the long-term effects. As a first step, this longitudinal study of a general population gives insight into consumption patterns including multiple drug intake (“polypharmacy”) and individual adherence to drug use over a 30-year period. Methods: This is a study based on the first large longitudinal population study of the health of adult Danes. Examinations were performed at 50, 60, 70 and 80 years of age. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to check participants’ individual adherence to each of six main drug categories, calculated stepwise. Results: 802 persons were included at 50 years of age in 1964. Of these, 213 were still participating in the study in 1994. The general use of drugs increased for all drug categories with age. Women used statistically significantly more drugs than men and showed a higher degree of polypharmacy. The individual adherence to antihypertensives was greater than the corresponding adherences to analgesics, psychoactive drugs, or hypnotics. At least two-thirds of all remaining initial users of antihypertensives still took them at 80 years of age. For other drug categories, the corresponding values were half or less. Conclusions: For the initial population studied over a period of 30 years, the use of drugs increased with age, but the drugs were not prescribed for the same people over time. During the 30-year period, individual patients’ drug adherence habits were in accordance with scientific evidence: patients adhered to long-term use of antihypertensive drugs, but used analgesics, psychoactive drugs and hypnotics for only shorter periods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Danish Medicines Agency Publications. Statistical tables: Drug Utilization, Annual Report 1997. Schultz Grafisk A/S Albertslund, 1997.

  2. Mehl B, Santell JP. Projecting future drug expenditures — 1999. Am J Health Syst Pharm 1999; 56: 31–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lamy PP. The health status in the elderly. In Prescribing for the elderly. Ed. PSG Publishing Co., Littleton, MA, 1980: 113–7.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Sørensen L, Stokes JA, Purdie DM, Woodward M, Roberts MS. Medication management at home: medication-related risk factors associated with poor health outcomes. Age Ageing 2005; 34: 626–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Franzier SC. Health outcomes and polypharmacy in elderly individuals: an integrated literature review. J Gerontol Nurs 2005; 31: 4–11.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Klarin I, Wimo A, Fastbom J. The association of inappropriate drug use with hospitalisation and mortality: a population-based study of the very old. Drug Aging 2005; 22: 69–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Campbell SE, Seymour DG, Primrose WR. A systematic literature review of factors affecting outcome in older medical patients admitted to hospital. Age Ageing 2004; 33: 110–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Williams CM. Using medications appropriately in older adults. Am Fam Physician 2002; 66:1917–24.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Barat I. Drugs and the 75-year-olds. (In Danish, summary in English). Ph.D. thesis, University of Aarhus, 2001.

  10. Jensen E, Dehlin O, Hagberg B, Samuelsson G, Svensson T. Drug treatment in 80-year-old persons. Effects of perceived health and life quality. Medical, psychological and sociological aspects of drug treatment. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie 1994; 27: 140–4.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cooper C, Carpenter I, Katona C, et al.. The AdHOC Study of Older Adults’ Adherence to Medication in 11 Countries. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2005; 13: 1067–76.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Gislason GH, Rasmussen JN, Abildstrom SZ, et al. Long-term compliance with beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and statins after acute myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J 2006; 27: 1153–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Schroll M. A ten-year prospective study, 1964–74, of cardiovascular risk factors in men and women from the Glostrup Population born in 1994. Medical thesis, Copenhagen: Laegeforeningens Forlag, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hagerup LM. Coronary heart disease, risk factors in men and women, from the Population Study in Glostrup, Denmark. Acta Med Scand (Suppl 557), 1974.

  15. Schroll M, Hagerup L. Risk factors of myocardial infarction and death in men aged 50 at entry. A ten-year prospective study from the Glostrup Population Studies. Dan Med Bull 1977; 24: 252–6.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Schroll M, Hagerup L. Relationship of fasting blood glucose to prevalence of ECG abnormalities and ten-year risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases in men born in 1914: From the Glostrup Population Studies. J Chron Dis 1979; 32: 699–707.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Schroll M. Smoking habits in the Glostrup population of men and women born in 1914. Implications for health evaluated from ten-year mortality, incidence of cardiovascular manifestations and pulmonary function, 1964–1974. Acta Med Scand 1980; 208: 245–56.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Schroll M. Blood pressure as a cardiovascular risk factor in a ten-year prospective study of men and women, born in 1914, examined 1964 and 1974 in Glostrup. Dan Med Bull 1981; 28: 154–64.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Schroll M. A longitudinal epidemiological survey of relative weight, age 25, 50 and 60, in the Glostrup population of men and women, born in 1914. Ten-year mortality and ten-year incidence of cardiovascular manifestations in relation to relative weight, age 50 and 25. Dan Med Bull 1981; 28: 106–16.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Schroll M, Grunnet K, Hansen PF. Fasting serum cholesterol and triglyceride values in a ten-year prospective study of the 1914 population in Glostrup, 1964–1974. Dan Med Bull 1981; 28: 251–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Schroll M, Larsen S. A ten-year prospective study, 1964–74, of cardiovasculasr risk factors in men and women from the Glostrup Population born in 1914. Multivariate analyses. Dan Med Bull 1981; 28: 236–51.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Schroll M, Munck O. Estimation of peripheral arteriosclerotic disease by ankle blood pressure measurements in a population study of 60 year-old men and women. J Chron Dis 1981; 34: 261–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System. Available at: http://www.umanitoba.ca/centres/mchp/concept/dict/drug/Atc-ext.html

  24. Schroll M. Health examination of 60 year old men and women. II. Reasons for defaulting. Population study in Glostrup. Ugeskr Laeger 1976; 138: 118–22.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Jürgensen KS, Avlund K, Schroll M. Social situation of the 70-year old population in the past and present. A cohort comparison of 70-year-old men and women born in 1887 and 1914 in Glostrup. Ugeskr Laeger 1990; 152: 2988–92.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Pedersen AN, Fagt S, Ovesen L, Schroll M. Quality control including validation in dietary surveys of elderly subjects. The validation of a dietary history method (the SENECA method) used in the 1914 population study in Glostrup of Danish men and women aged 80 years. J Nutr Health Aging 2001; 5: 208–16.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Vass M, Hendriksen C. Medication for older people. Aspects of rational therapy from the general practitioner’s point of view. Z Gerontol Geriatr 2005; 38: 190–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Le Couteur DG, Hilmer SN, Glasgow N, Naganathan V, Cumming RG. Prescribing in older people. Aust Fam Physician 2004; 33: 777–81.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Pirmohamed M, James S, Meakin S, et al. Adverse drug reactions as cause of admission to hospital: prospective analysis of 18820 patients. BMJ 2004; 329: 15–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Rahn KH. Recent intervention studies with antihypertensive drugs and their influence on guidelines. Med Klin (Munich) 2003; 98: 771–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Volpe M. Hypertension therapy: mixing, matching, and meeting targets. Adv Ther 2004; 21: 107–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Onder G, Pedone C, Landi F, et al. Adverse drug reactions as cause of hospital admissions: results from the Italian Group of Pharmacoepidemiology in the Elderly (GIFA). J Am Geriatr Soc 2002; 50: 1962–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Onder G, Gambassi G, Landi F, et al. Investigators of the GIFA Study (SIGG-ONLUS). Trends in antihypertensive drugs in the elderly: the decline of thiazides. J Hum Hypertens 2001; 15: 287–9.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Landi F, Onder G, Cesari M, et al. Pain management in frail, community-living elderly patients. Arch Intern Med 2001; 161: 2721–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Hughes CM, Lapane KL, Mor V, et al. The impact of legislation on psychotropic drug use in nursing homes: a cross-national perspective. J Am Geriatr Soc 2000; 48: 931–7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Spore D, Mor V, Larrat EP, Hiris J, Hawes C. Regulatory environment and psychotropic use in board-and-care facilities: Results of a 10-state study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 1996; 51: M131–41.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Bowman L, Carlstedt BC, Hancock EF, Black CD. Adverse drug reaction (ADR) occurrence and evaluation in elderly patients. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 1996; 5: 9–18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Barat I, Andreasen F, Damsgaard EMS. The consumption of drugs by 75-year-old individuals living in their own homes. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2000; 56: 501–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Williams L, Rush DR. Geriatric polypharmacy. Hosp Pract (Off Ed) 1986; 15: 109–12, 115–20.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Nolan L, O’Malley K. Prescribing for the elderly: Part II. Prescribing patterns: differences due to age. J Am Geriatr Soc 1988; 36: 245–54.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Schroll M, Avlund K, Davidsen M. Predictors of five-year functional ability in a longitudinal survey of men and women aged 75 to 80. The 1914 population in Glostrup, Denmark. Aging Clin Exp Res 1997; 9: 143–52.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg, and Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup, Denmark

    Elmo Jensen MD, PhD & Marianne Schroll

Authors
  1. Elmo Jensen MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marianne Schroll
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elmo Jensen MD, PhD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jensen, E., Schroll, M. A 30-year survey of drug use in the 1914 birth cohort in Glostrup County, Denmark: 1964–1994. Aging Clin Exp Res 20, 145–152 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324761

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324761

Keywords

Search

Navigation