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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%

  1. a Percentage change between overall prevalence of medication category between data collections at age 60–64 and 69, using same sample of 2001 individuals with data at both time points