Adverse drug events in cognitively impaired elderly patients

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Adverse drug events (ADEs) are a frequent problem encountered in the elderly. The aim of this study was to elucidate the factors that influence ADEs in an elderly population with cognitive impairment. METHODS: 242 patients were recruited from dementia clinics and assessed after 6 months for ADEs. The use of natural health products (NHPs) was also documented. RESULTS: Backward logistic regression found that higher age (OR = 1.06; 95% CI 1.01-1.12), and greater cognitive impairment (OR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.90-0.98) were associated with an increased risk of developing an ADE while the use of NHPs (OR = 0.32; 95% CI 0.13-0.79) was associated with a decreased risk (chi(2) = 27.6, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Risk of ADEs increased with greater age and cognitive impairment but decreased with the use of NHPs.