Table 1. Prescription frequency of the top 20 prescribed medications for adults and the elderly (≥65 years old) from the 2009–2010 NHANES survey.
| drug | class | % adults | % elderly | ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| simvastatin | metabolic agents | 6.8 | 19.8 | 2.9 |
| levothyroxine | hormones/hormone modifiers | 6.7 | 16.0 | 2.4 |
| lisinopril | cardiovascular agents | 6.6 | 16.6 | 2.5 |
| metoprolol | cardiovascular agents | 5.1 | 17.1 | 3.4 |
| omeprazole | gastrointestinal agents | 4.4 | 10.2 | 2.3 |
| metformin | metabolic agents | 4.3 | 9.7 | 2.3 |
| atorvastatin | metabolic agents | 4.0 | 10.7 | 2.7 |
| hydrochlorothiazide | cardiovascular agents | 3.4 | 8.7 | 2.6 |
| albuterol | respiratory agents | 3.3 | 3.3 | 1.0 |
| amlodipine | cardiovascular agents | 3.2 | 10.1 | 3.2 |
| atenolol | cardiovascular agents | 2.9 | 9.2 | 3.2 |
| furosemide | cardiovascular agents | 2.7 | 10.1 | 3.8 |
| esomeprazole | gastrointestinal agents | 2.2 | 3.9 | 1.8 |
| ranitidine | gastrointestinal agents | 2.2 | 3.1 | 1.4 |
| acetaminophen; hydrocodone | central nervous system agents | 2.1 | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| potassium chloride | nutritional products | 1.8 | 6.0 | 3.4 |
| sertraline | psychotherapeutic agents | 1.8 | 3.1 | 1.8 |
| warfarin | coagulation modifiers | 1.7 | 7.8 | 4.5 |
| citalopram | psychotherapeutic agents | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.1 |
| rosuvastatin | metabolic agents | 1.7 | 3.4 | 2.1 |