Journal article
Use of Laxative Medication in Older Persons and Associations with Low Serum Albumin
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), Vol.42(1), pp.50-56
01/1994
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1994.tb06073.x
PMID: 8277116
Abstract
Objective: To study laxative use among older persons and the association of laxative intake with hypoalbuminemia.
Design: Cross-sectional study in a population-based cohort.
Setting: Community and institutions in the Iowa and Washington counties, Iowa site of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly.
Participants: Persons aged 71 years or older, who were interviewed at the 6th year of follow-up and for whom drug intake information was obtained (n = 2,529).
Main Outcome Measures: Laxative medication use and prevalence of hypoalbuminemia.
Results: The prevalence rate of laxative use was 8.8% in the community and 74.6% in nursing homes. Increasing age was independently associated with laxative use (odds ratio [OR] = 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.33 to 2.07 for a 10-year increase), after adjusting for gender, institutionalization, disability in activities of daily living, body mass index, and use of the following drugs: furosemide, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, codeine, and calcium antagonists. Laxative use was independently associated with hypoalbuminemia (OR = 3.17, 95% CI = 1.42 to 7.08) after adjusting for age, gender, anemia, number of comorbid conditions, disability in activities of daily living, body mass index, use of furosemide, and institutionalization status. Compared with those who never used laxatives, those who took laxatives only at the 6th year of follow-up were at increased risk of hypoalbuminemia (OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.04 to 6.77), and those who used laxatives at both the 3rd and 6th years of follow-up were at greatest risk (OR = 4.02, 95% CI = 1.53 to 10.06).
Conclusion: Laxatives are used by large numbers of older persons, and the investigation on unknown adverse effects is important. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the association of laxative use with hypoalbuminemia found in this study and to assess the mechanisms of this association.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Use of Laxative Medication in Older Persons and Associations with Low Serum Albumin
- Creators
- Marco Pahor - Cattedra di Gerontologia, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, ItalyJack M Guralnik - Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry Program, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MarylandElizabeth A Chrischilles - Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaRobert B Wallace - Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), Vol.42(1), pp.50-56
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1994.tb06073.x
- PMID
- 8277116
- NLM abbreviation
- J Am Geriatr Soc
- ISSN
- 0002-8614
- eISSN
- 1532-5415
- Publisher
- Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Number of pages
- 7
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/1994
- Academic Unit
- Pharmacy; Epidemiology; Injury Prevention Research Center; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984214798902771
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