The objective was to identify the systematic associations among chronic diseases and drugs in the form of patterns and to describe and clinically interpret the constituted patterns with a focus on exploring the existence of potential drug-drug and drug-disease interactions and prescribing cascades. This observational, cross-sectional study used the demographic and clinical information from electronic medical databases and the pharmacy billing records of all users of the public health system of the Spanish region of Aragon in 2015. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted based on the tetra-choric correlations among the diagnoses of chronic diseases and the dispensed drugs in 887,572 patients aged ≤65 years. The analysis was stratified by age and sex. To name the constituted patterns, assess their clinical nature, and identify potential interactions among diseases and drugs, the associations found in each pattern were independently reviewed by two pharmacists and two doctors and tested against the literature and the information reported in the technical medicinal forms. Six multimorbidity-polypharmacy patterns were found in this large-scale population study, named as respiratory, mental health, cardiometabolic, endocrinological, osteometabolic, and mechanical-pain. The nature of the patterns in terms of diseases and drugs differed by sex and age and became more complex as age advanced. The six clinically sound multimorbidity-polypharmacy patterns described in this non-elderly population confirmed the existence of systematic associations among chronic diseases and medications, and revealed some unexpected associations suggesting the prescribing cascade phenomenon as a potential underlying factor. These findings may help to broaden the focus and orient the early identification of potential interactions when caring for multimorbid patients at high risk of adverse health outcomes due to polypharmacy.

Purpose: The purpose was to analyze drug prescription and antibiotic use by age and sex in Italy’s Campania Region, and to estimate the distribution of prescription rates in children (≤ 14 years old), adults (between 15 and 65 years old), and older adults (≥ 65 years old) at a municipality level. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of pharmacy records in Campania (Southern Italy), in 2016. Difference in antibiotic prescriptions in different age groups was assessed by prevalence rates. Age-adjusted prevalence rates were categorized into quintiles and mapped by the patient’s municipality of residence. Relationship between prevalence rates for the different age groups was estimated using the non-parametric Spearman rank correlation test. Results: There were 2,738,118 were patients with at least one antibiotic prescription. Antibiotics prescription was higher in children aged < 5 years and in the older adults aged > 70 years. Prevalence rate distribution was different among municipalities in all age groups. A positive correlation between the rank distribution of prevalence rates at municipality level was identified for children and adults (rs=0.56; P< 0.01), adults and the older adults (rs=0.79; P< 0.01), and children and the older adults (rs=0.46; P< 0.01). Among the studied age groups, the most prescribed antibiotic class was penicillin (except the older adults aged ≥ 85 years) ranging from 45% in children to 27.2% in the older adults. Fluoroquinolones were the least prescribed antibiotic class, ranging from 0.2% in children to 30.2% in the older adults. Conclusion: A considerably high use of antibiotic drugs has been detected in Campania Region, with values exceeding the regional and national average. Prescriptions at municipal level differ from one age group to another. Antibiotic use is often unjustified, and to decrease the number of prescriptions and improve their appropriateness, several measures at territorial level are recommended.

Multimorbidity is challenging for both patients and healthcare systems due to its increasing prevalence and high impact on people’s health and well-being. The risk of multimorbidity increases with age, but there is still more to discover regarding the clinical profile of the oldest old. In this study, we used information from the EpiChron Cohort Study to identify multimorbidity patterns in individuals who died during the period 2010–2019 at the ages of 80–89, 90–99, and ≥100. This cohort links the demographic, clinical, and drug dispensation information of public health system users in Aragón, Spain. We saw a significantly lower number of chronic diseases and drugs and a lower prevalence of polypharmacy in centenarians compared to those aged 80–99. K-means clustering revealed different multimorbidity clusters by sex and age group. We observed clusters of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, obstructive pulmonary conditions, and neoplasms, amongst other profiles. One in three octogenarian women had a metabolic pattern (diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and other endocrine–metabolic disorders) with the highest number of diseases (up to seven) and prevalence of polypharmacy (64%). We observed clusters of dementia and genitourinary disorders in individuals on medication with anticholinergic activity. Our study offers an opportunity to better understand the urgency of adequately addressing multimorbidity in our older adults.

The World Health Organization considers the non-adherence to medication a significant issue with global impact, especially in chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. We aim to study antidiabetic treatment initiation, add-on, treatment switching, and medication persistence. We conducted an observational study on 4247 individuals initiating antidiabetic treatment between 2013 and 2014 in the EpiChron Cohort (Spain). We used Cox regression models to estimate the likelihood of non-persistence after a one-year follow-up, expressed as hazard ratios (HRs). Metformin was the most frequently used first-line antidiabetic (80% of cases); combination treatment was the second most common treatment in adults aged 40–79 years, while dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors were the second most common in individuals in their 80s and over, and in patients with renal disease. Individuals initiated on metformin were less likely to present addition and switching events compared with any other antidiabetic. Almost 70% of individuals initiated on monotherapy were persistent. Subjects aged 40 and over (HR 0.53–0.63), living in rural (HR 0.79) or more deprived areas (HR 0.77–0.82), or receiving polypharmacy (HR 0.84), were less likely to show discontinuation. Our findings could help identify the population at risk of discontinuation, and offer them closer monitoring for proper integrated management to improve prognosis and health outcomes.

Antecedentes y objetivo Varios estudios han puesto de manifiesto un cumplimiento terapéutico subóptimo en la población general, sobre todo en ancianos y en enfermos crónicos. El objetivo de este estudio es describir la adherencia al tratamiento de diabetes mellitus, dislipidemia e hipertensión arterial, e identificar los factores que la influencian. Material y métodos Estudio observacional transversal retrospectivo sobre 16.208 pacientes mayores de 65 años de la Cohorte EpiChron, que iniciaron tratamiento en monoterapia de un antidiabético, un hipolipidemiante o un antihipertensivo en 2010. La adherencia se midió mediante el cálculo de la relación de posesión de medicación durante un año de seguimiento, considerándose adherentes los casos con posesión de medicación ≥80%. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y un modelo de regresión logística para identificar los factores predictores de baja adherencia. Resultados: La adherencia a los antidiabéticos, antihipertensivos e hipolipidemiantes fue del 72,4; 50,7 y 44,3%, respectivamente. Se observó un aumento en la adherencia del 3-8% por cada enfermedad crónica adicional del paciente. La presencia de enfermedad mental no afectó a la adherencia, y el sexo, edad y número de fármacos prescritos no presentaron efectos consistentes. Conclusiones: Los resultados obtenidos ponen de manifiesto una adherencia al tratamiento subóptima en las enfermedades crónicas estudiadas. La adherencia aumentó con el número de enfermedades crónicas, mientras que sexo, edad y número de fármacos no presentaron un efecto consistente. Es necesario investigar si existen otros factores que puedan influir en la adherencia terapéutica, ya que su mejora puede tener mayor impacto en la salud que cualquier avance en las terapias. Background and objective Sub-optimal adherence to treatment in the general population has been highlighted in several studies, especially in the elderly and/or chronic patients. This study aims to describe the adherence to treatment of diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and hypertension, and to identify the factors that influence adherence. Material and method Retrospective, cross-sectional observational study on 16,208 patients aged ≥65 years from the EpiChron Cohort who initiated monotherapy treatment of an antidiabetic, a lipid-lowering or an antihypertensive medication in 2010. Adherence was measured by calculating the medication possession ratio during one year, considering those cases with medication possession ratio ≥80% to be adherent. We performed a descriptive study, and a logistic regression model was used to identify the predictors of low adherence. Results: Adherence to antidiabetics, antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs was 72.4%, 50.7% and 44.3%, respectively. An increase in adherence of 3-8% was observed for each additional chronic disease suffered by the patient. The presence of mental illness did not affect adherence, and sex, age and number of prescribed drugs did not present consistent effects. Conclusion: The results obtained show a sub-optimal adherence to treatment for the 3 chronic diseases studied. Adherence increased with the number of chronic diseases, while sex, age and number of drugs did not show a consistent effect. It is necessary to investigate if there are other factors that may influence therapeutic adherence, since improving adherence may have a greater impact on health than any progress in therapies.

Background: Managing multimorbidity is a major challenge for healthcare systems. Cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) is highly prevalent and linked to increased disease burden, functional decline, and mortality. While most studies focus on cross-sectional analyses, longitudinal approaches are essential for understanding disease progression and identifying patient groups who may benefit from targeted interventions. Objectives: This systematic review synthesises evidence from longitudinal studies on the incidence and progression of CMM, exploring transitions between multimorbidity clusters and their clinical implications. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they employed longitudinal designs and clustering techniques to assess multimorbidity evolution. The quality of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE system. Results: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. CMM occurs across all age groups and both sexes, showing the highest mortality and functional decline rates. Patients with CMM frequently develop additional cardiometabolic conditions or transition to related clusters. Many also experience neurodegenerative and mental health disorders. Individuals from respiratory multimorbidity clusters often transition to CMM. Moreover, CMM is more prevalent in lower socioeconomic populations. Conclusions: Understanding multimorbidity trajectories enables targeted preventive strategies. Identifying patients with predictable progression can help design adequate and effective interventions, reduce health disparities, and improve healthcare outcomes.