Table 1.
Characteristics of Subjects According to Polypharmacy State
| Characteristics | Total Sample | Non-Polypharmacy (0–4 Drugs) |
Polypharmacy (5–9 Drugs) |
Hyperpolypharmacy (10 or More Drugs) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sample size (N, %) | 1205 (100.0) | 728 (60.4) | 453 (37.6) | 24 (2.0) | – |
| Age (mean, SD) | 73.1±5.9 | 73.4±6 | 73.3±5.7 | 73.4±5.4 | 0.8278 |
| Gender (%) | 0.0002 | ||||
| Female | 68.0 (65.0–70.4) | 63.3 (59.8–66.8) | 72.9 (69.7–77.8) | 83.3 (64.2–93.3) | |
| Male | 32.0 (29.7–35.0) | 36.7 (33.3–40.2) | 27.1 (22.2–30.3) | 16.7 (6.7–35.9) | |
| Residential area (%) | 0.0828 | ||||
| Urban | 79.0 (76.5–82.1) | 75.4 (72.2–78.4) | 80.13 (76.2–83.6) | 87.50 (68.9–95.7) | |
| Rural | 21.0 (17.9–23.4) | 24.6 (21.6–27.8) | 19.9 (16.5–23.8) | 12.50 (4.3–31.0) | |
| Education years (mean, SD) | 7.2±4.2 | 7.2±4.4 | 7.2±4.4 | 7.3±4.3 | 0.9907 |
| BMI (mean, SD) | 29±5.1 | 28±50 | 30±5,10 | 31±5,40 | <0.0001 |
| Mild cognitive impairment | 19.0 (16.8–22.4) | 16.0 (13.5–18.9) | 22.9 (19,3–27,1) | 33.3 (17.9–53.3) | 0.0025 |
| Comorbidities (%) | <0.0001 | ||||
| Hypertension | 73.1 | 60.0 (56.4–63.5) | 92.9 (90.2–94.9) | 95.8 (79.8–99.8) | |
| Diabetes | 35.4 | 22.1 (19.3–25.3) | 54.5 (49.9–59.1) | 75.0 (55.1–88.0) | |
| Respiratory disease | 10.9 | 6.59 (5.0–8.6) | 16.56 (13.4–16.6) | 37.50 (21.2–37.5) | |
| Frailty status (%) | <0.0001 | ||||
| Non-frail | 36.5 | 40.5 (37.0–44.1) | 30.9 (26.8–35.3) | 20.8 (9.2–40.5) | |
| Pre-frail | 38.9 | 40.8 (37.3–44.4) | 36.2 (31.9–40.7) | 33.3 (17.9–53.3) | |
| Frail | 24.6 | 18.7 (16.0–21.7) | 32.9 (28.7–37.3) | 45.8 (27.9–64.9) |
Notes: Chi-Squared test with Yate’s correction was used to assess differences in proportions. ANOVA was used to assess differences in means. The bold text indicates a statistical significant difference between groups.
Abbreviation: BMI, body mass index.