Common Causes and Characteristics of Adverse Drug Reactions in Older Adults: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background Aging populations are often accompanied by comorbidity and polypharmacy, leading to increases in adverse drug reactions (ADRs). We sought to evaluate the causes and characteristics of ADRs in older Korean adults (≥ 65 years) in comparison to younger individuals (< 65 years).Methods Of 37,523 cases reported at a Korean pharmacovigilance center from 2011 to 2018, we reviewed 18,842 ADRs of certain or probable causality on the basis of WHO-UMC criteria. Subjects exposed to major culprits were extracted from cohorts transformed to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model during the study period.Results In total, 4,152 (22.0%) ADRs were reported for 3,437 older adults (mean age, 74.6 years and 57.3% female). Tramadol (rate ratio, 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–1.44; P < 0.001) and fentanyl (1.49, 1.16–1.92, P = 0.002) posed higher risks of ADRs in the older adults, whereas nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (0.35, 0.30–0.40, P < 0.001) and iodinated contrast media (ICM) (0.82, 0.76–0.89, P < 0.001) posed lower risks. Ratios of serious ADRs to NSAIDs (odds ratio, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.48–3.15; P < 0.001) and ICM (2.09, 1.36–3.21, P = 0.001) were higher in the older adults than in the younger patients. Analgesics primarily elicited cutaneous ADRs in the younger patients and gastrointestinal reactions in the older adults. ICM more commonly led to anaphylaxis in the older adults than the younger patients (3.0% vs. 1.6%, P = 0.019).Conclusion For early detection of ADRs in older adults, better understanding of differences in the causes and characteristics thereof in comparison to the general population is needed.