[Utilisation of atypical antipsychotic drugs in institutionalised elderly persons and prevalence of metabolic alterations].
OBJECTIVE
Describe and evaluate atypical antipsychotics utilisation on the institutionalized elderly population of the Valencian Community and prevalence of associated metabolic alterations.


METHODS
Multicentre transversal descriptive study on medication utilisation and prevalence case-control of alterations of glycaemia, cholesterol and triglycerides. The statistical analysis of metabolic alterations is performed from the difference in prevalence and its statistical signification between the control group and the study group.


RESULTS
681 patients were included (study group, 344; control group, 337) from 20 social-health-care centres. 18.5% of the institutionalised patients are being treated with atypical antipsychotics. The most frequent diagnoses are: behavioural alterations associated with dementia (63.6%) and schizophrenia (18.4%). Risperidone is the most frequently used antipsychotic (66.0%). For all the drugs in general the doses used adjust to those recommended for elderly patients. The prevalence of alterations in glycaemia, cholesterol and triglycerides metabolism in the group under study is 23.96%, 34.83%, and 26.29%, respectively, with no statistically significant differences against the control group. The analysis by type of drug did not show significant differences.


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained show that utilisation of atypical antipsychotics in elderly patients complies with the established general recommendations. The doses used in elderly patients with behavioural alterations associated with dementia, mostly treated with risperidone, do not have a significant impact over prevalence increase of metabolic alterations.
Martínez Romero
G
G
Servicio de Farmacia, Centro Sociosanitario de La Cañada, Valencia, España. martinez_gre@gva.es
Peris Martí
J F
JF
Gomar Fayos
J
J
Navarro Gosalbez
M
M
Quintana Vargas
I
I
Muelas Tirado
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007326:Institutionalization; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D019338:Polypharmacy; D015995:Prevalence; D018967:Risperidone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone