Evaluation of potential drug–Drug interactions and risk factors in elderly patients with peripheral neuropathy

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The geriatric population is at excessive risk of potential drug–drug interactions (pDDIs). Nevertheless, polypharmacy is quoted as a significant associated factor; several other factors were only explored a little. The study aimed to evaluate the profile of pDDIs and the associated risk factors among geriatric peripheral neuropathy patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: The study was an extended evaluation of data gathered during a randomized clinical trial for the first-line drugs used to treat peripheral neuropathy, which enrolled participants aged ≥60 years. Data were collected from the outpatient department cards of the patients and were scrutinized using Lexicomp-UpToDate software. Results: The study included 80 patients. Most (56.3%) were male, and half of the included patients had diabetes. In the analysis of 80 prescriptions, 55 different drugs were prescribed. The incidence of pDDIs was 40%. About 57.5% of prescriptions had at least one fixed-dose combination (FDC). Polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) was observed in 41.2% of the prescriptions. Among the several risk factors analyzed, patients with >2 comorbidities (RR: 1.99; confidence interval [CI]: 1.09–3.65; P = 0.02*), the triad of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia (RR; 2.27; CI: 1.42–3.62; P = 0.003*), receiving polypharmacy (RR: 5.1; CI: 2.5–10.35; P = 0.00001*), and FDC (RR: 7.14; CI: 2.3–21.53; P = 0.00001*) were found to be statistically significant predictors of pDDIs. Conclusion: Our study found that multimorbidities lead to polypharmacy and FDC, resulting in clinically significant pDDIs.

Keywords

• drug–drug interactions
• geriatric population
• polypharmacy
• rational use of drugs