Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40106218›Full record

Trial reportDrugs & aging2025

Prescription and Non-prescription Medication Pill Burdens and Their Associations with Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Josephine M Vonderhaar, Michael E Ernst, Michelle A Fravel, Suzanne G Orchard, Alice J Owen, Robyn L Woods, Rory Wolfe, Nigel Stocks, Julia Gilmartin-Thomas

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Drugs & aging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Josephine M VonderhaarDepartment of Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, 180 S. Grand Ave, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
Michael E ErnstDepartment of Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, 180 S. Grand Ave, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA. michael-ernst@uiowa.edu.ORCID 0000-0003-0267-4888
Michelle A FravelDepartment of Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, 180 S. Grand Ave, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
Suzanne G OrchardSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Alice J OwenSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Robyn L WoodsSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Rory WolfeSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Nigel StocksDiscipline of General Practice, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Julia Gilmartin-ThomasSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Funding

ASPirin in Reducing Events in the ElderlyU01AG029824 · NIA · HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI MCNEIL, JOHN JAMES, MURRAY, ANNE M · 2009 to 2018
$64.6M
Main Administrative CoreU19AG062682 · NIA · HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI CHAN, ANDREW T, MCNEIL, JOHN JAMES · 2019 to 2023
$42.9M
National Health and Medical Research Council 1127060National Health and Medical Research Council 334047NIA NIH HHS U01AG029824NIA NIH HHS U19 AG062682NIA NIH HHS U19AG062682
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPolypharmacy is associated with reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study explores the association between prescription and non-prescription medication pill burdens, independent of underlying morbidity, on HRQoL in an older adult population.

methodsData from the final intervention year of the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) randomized trial in older adults from Australia and the USA, were analyzed cross-sectionally. Participants reported daily prescription and non-prescription pill counts at the final trial visit. HRQoL was assessed using the 12-Item Short-Form instrument (SF-12) and summarized into the physical component summary (PCS) score and mental component summary (MCS) score, where lower scores reflect poorer HRQoL. Multivariable regression, adjusted for covariates, was used to examine the relationships of categorized prescription and non-prescription pill counts with PCS and MCS separately.

results15,165 participants responded to the question about prescription use and 15,727 for non-prescriptions (mean age = 80 years). Compared with non-users of prescription medications, lower mean PCS scores and larger reductions in scores were seen as prescription medication pill burden increased from 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, to ≥ 10 pills (- 1.7, - 4.5, - 7.6, and - 10.9, respectively, p < 0.001). A similar relationship, but of lesser magnitude, was observed with non-prescription medication pill burden, where the mean PCS was lower by - 0.2 for 1-3 pills (p = 0.494), - 1.8 for 4-6 (p < 0.001), and - 1.9 for ≥ 7 pills (p < 0.001), compared with non-users. No significant association was observed between prescription or non-prescription medication pill burdens and MCS.

conclusionsPrescription and non-prescription medication pill burdens are independently associated with reduced physical, but not mental, HRQoL in older adults.

Indexed as

Nonprescription DrugsPrescription DrugsQuality of LifeAgedAged, 80 and overAustraliaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePolypharmacyUnited StatesNonprescription DrugsPrescription Drugs

Identifiers

PMID40106218

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.