Table 1 Characteristics of 2122 MRC NSHD participants with medication data at age 69
From: The prevalence and determinants of polypharmacy at age 69: a British birth cohort study
| Descriptive statistics | Age 69 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sample Size | 2122 | |
| Female Gender | 1084 (51.1%) | |
| Education Status | 2011 | |
| None | 627 (31.2%) | |
| Vocational / O-Level | 569 (28.3%) | |
| A-Level / Higher | 815 (40.5%) | |
| Social Class | 2108 | |
| Manual Social Class | 589 (27.9%) | |
| Non-Manual Social Class | 1519 (72.1%) | |
| Number of Doctor Diagnosed Chronic Diseases | 2120 | |
| 0 | 532 (25.1%) | |
| 1 | 725 (34.2%) | |
| 2 | 427 (20.1%) | |
| 3+ | 436 (20.6%) | |
| Disease Severity | 2120 | |
| No limiting conditions | 1554 (73.3%) | |
| Presence of a limiting condition | 566 (26.7%) | |
| Medication Data | Age 69 | Percentage Changea |
| Medication Use From Specific BNF Chapter | ||
| (1) Gastrointestinal | 519 (24.5%) | + 7.3% |
| (2) Cardiovascular | 1171 (55.2%) | + 13.4% |
| (3) Respiratory | 268 (12.6%) | + 1.3% |
| (4) Central Nervous System | 460 (21.7%) | + 1.6% |
| (5) Anti-Infective Agents | 53 (2.5%) | -0.8% |
| (6) Endocrine | 453 (21.4%) | + 3.2% |
| (7) Obs, Gynae & Urinary | 148 (7.0%) | + 2.8% |
| (8) Malignancy & Immune | 44 (2.1%) | + 1.0% |
| (9) Nutrition & Blood | 241 (11.2%) | + 1.3% |
| (10) Musculoskeletal | 194 (9.1%) | -3.1% |
| (11) Ophthalmic | 95 (4.5%) | + 1.6% |
| (12) Ear, Nose & Throat | 60 (2.8%) | - 0.9% |
| (13) Dermatology | 61 (2.9%) | - 0.4% |
| Number of Medications Used | ||
| 0 | 430 (20.3%) | - 8.6% |
| 1 to 4 | 1209 (57.0%) | + 5.5% |
| 5 to 8 (Polypharmacy) | 384 (18.1%) | + 2.3% |
| 9+ (Excessive Polypharmacy) | 99 (4.7%) | + 0.8% |
| Cardiological Polypharmacy | ||
| None | 951 (44.8%) | - 13.4% |
| 1 (Monotherapy) | 379 (17.9%) | + 4.0% |
| 2 to 4 (Polypharmacy) | 684 (32.2%) | + 9.2% |
| 5+ (Extreme Polypharmacy) | 108 (5.1%) | + 0.2% |
| Non-Cardiological Polypharmacy | ||
| None | 802 (37.8%) | - 4.5% |
| 1 (Monotherapy) | 505 (23.8%) | + 0.6% |
| 2 to 4 (Polypharmacy) | 643 (30.3%) | + 2.7% |
| 5+ (Extreme Polypharmacy) | 172 (8.1%) | + 1.2% |