[Association between anxiolytic and antidepressant consumption and psychiatric symptoms in the elderly].
BACKGROUND
Many studies have reported excessive consumption of psychotropic drugs in the elderly but none have related psychotropic drug use to psychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders in community-dwelling patients aged more than 65 years old in Spain.


METHODS
We performed a cross sectional study in a representative sample (9,739 persons) from the population aged more than 55 years old in the city of Zaragoza in 2001. A total of 3,714 persons aged more than 65 years old were interviewed. The data belonged to the ZARADEMP project.


RESULTS
The mean age of the sample was 76.9 years (59.2% women and 40.8% men). Anxiolytics or antidepressants were consumed by 22.6% of the sample. A diagnosis of depression was made in 12.9%, anxiety in 1.6% and insomnia in 36%. We found high consumption of anxiolytics, especially in persons with depression (42.2%) and low consumption of antidepressants, especially in persons with a diagnosis of depression (15.4%) and in those with depressive symptoms (8.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
A correct psychiatric diagnosis is essential before psychotropic drugs are used to ensure appropriate treatment of the elderly with psychiatric symptoms.
Alonso Formento
Enrique
E
Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, Urgencias de Hospital Obispo Polanco, Teruel, España. ealonsof@papps.org
Saz Muñoz
Pedro
P
Lobo Satué
Antonio
A
Ventura Faci
Tirso
T
De La Cámara Izquierdo
Concepción
C
Marcos Aragüés
Guillermo
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents