Correlation between Potentially Inappropriate Medication and Alzheimer’s Disease among the Elderly

Abstract Purpose This study is conducted to explore the association between potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) among the elderly. Methods We used Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to conduct a nationwide case-control study. Elderly individuals (over 65 years of age) who had been diagnosed with AD (ICD-9-CM: 331.0) for the first time in 2011 were selected as subjects for the case group. A control group was formed by selecting elderly patients without AD using 1:1 propensity score matching. Control variables included sex, age, health status, and 31 Elixhauser comorbidities. All analyses were performed using the Resource Utilization Band (Adjusted Clinical Groups software). All health utilization data associated with PIM were traced back for a period of 5 years. We examined the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for PIM in relation to AD. Results We identified 5,264 patients with AD (case group) and 5,264 non-AD controls. After adjustment for confounding factors, proportion of all PIM (adjusted OR: 1.006, 95%CI: 1.002-1.010, p-value = 0.009) was significantly associated with AD. Conclusion In conclusion, we observed a significant positive correlation between PIM and AD among elderly population.