title: Gender difference in drug use in hospitalized elderly patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to evaluate whether or not there are gender differences in drug use at hospital admission and prescription at discharge and to evaluate the effect of hospitalization on medication patterns in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-patients aged >65years included in the REPOSI registry during a recruitment period of 3years (2008-2010-2012) were analyzed in order to evaluate drug use at hospital admission and prescription at discharge according to gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3473 patients, 52% women and 48% men, were considered. Polypharmacy (>5 drugs) is more frequent in men both at hospital admission and discharge. At hospital discharge, the number of prescriptions increased in both sexes at all age groups. Neuropsychiatric drugs were significantly more prescribed in women (p<0.0001). At admission men were more likely to be on antiplatelets (41.7% vs 36.7%; p=0.0029), ACE-inhibitors (28.7% vs 24.7%; p=0.0072) and statins (22.9% vs 18.3%; p=0.0008). At discharge, antiplatelets (43.7% vs 37.3%; p=0.0003) and statins (25,2% vs 19.6%; p<0.0001) continued to be prescribed more often in men, while women were given beta-blockers more often than men (21.8% vs 18.9%; p=0.0340). Proton pump inhibitors were the most prescribed drugs regardless of gender. At discharge, the medication pattern did not change according to gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed a gender difference in overall medications pattern in the hospitalized elderly. Hospitalization, while increasing the number of prescriptions, did not change drug distribution by sex.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, Foundation IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy. Electronic address: p_santalucia@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santalucia
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Codjo D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Djade
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tettamanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pasina
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corrao
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine I, Policlinico IRCCS San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit Spedali Civili, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marengoni
authors.affiliation: Foundation IRCCS Cà Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Geriatrics, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, Foundation IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Pier Mannuccio
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Mannucci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019338:Polypharmacy; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D017678:Sex Distribution
keywords: Elderly; Gender; Polypharmacy