title: Evaluation of the heterogeneity of studies estimating the association between risk factors and the use of potentially inappropriate drug therapy for the elderly: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to evaluate the heterogeneity of studies estimating the association between risk factors (age, gender, and polypharmacy) and the use of potentially inappropriate drug therapy for the elderly (PIDT).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies. LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Science databases were reviewed. The following data were extracted from the included studies: country, type of study, characteristics of the sample, practice scenarios, instruments to evaluate potentially inappropriate drug therapy for the older adults, and patient-related variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine articles (17 cross-sectional and 12 cohort) were included. The majority of the studies were conducted in Europe. Regarding the study durations, 3 to 18 months was necessary to perform the research. As for the sample characteristics, all the studies analyzed involved the older adults and included anywhere from 96 patients to 33,830,599 outpatient consultations. Of the variables analyzed, only polypharmacy presented a positive association with the use of PIDT. All meta-analysis studies showed high heterogeneity, indicating the lack of a methodological standardization of the studies included, among other factors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Social Pharmacy (LEPFS), Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, Cidade Universitária 'Prof. José Aloísio Campos', Jardim Rosa Elze, São Cristóvão, CEP: 49100-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Patrícia A L
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Daniel Tenório
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Genival Araujo
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: dos Santos Júnior
authors.forename: Carina Carvalho
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Silvestre
authors.forename: Marco Antônio Prado
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Divaldo Pereira
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Lyra
authors.forename: Angelo Roberto
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Antoniolli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors