| Eunji Yim | 2 Articles |
Background
Many studies have assessed the risk factors for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in elderly patients. However, most of these studies have focused on risk factors for ADRs, not serious ADRs (s-ADRs). s-ADRs are commonly found in hospitalized patients. s-ADRs warrant imminent but thorough investigations, given their critical impact on patient health. Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to assess the associated risk factors for s-ADRs in elderly hospitalized patients. Methods In-patients aged >65 years having ADRs during hospitalization at a university hospital in Korea between 2010 and 2012 were included. Medical professionals spontaneously reported ADRs using an electronic submission system at the study hospital. Further, all descriptions of ADRs were characterized and categorized through the screening of electronic medical records. We compared the characteristics of patients having s-ADRs with those of patients not having s-ADRs. Results There were 353 cases of ADRs, 67 of which were s-ADRs. Patients taking more than eight concomitant drugs showed the highest odds ratio (OR, 11.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.42–42.03). The ratio of aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was also significantly related to s-ADRs (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.33–5.81). The use of antibiotics (OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.13–5.02) and antineoplastics (OR, 4.17; 95% CI, 1.09–15.94) were significant risk factors. Conclusion Our findings highlight the importance of polypharmacy. Liver function tests (AST/ALT ratio) must be monitored carefully within high-risk groups for ADRs. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
Many studies have attempted to develop relatively simple and easy noninvasive measurements of atherosclerosis (NIMA), and each NIMA assesses different atherosclerotic properties. We, therefore, investigated the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) components and different NIMAs. This study included 1,132 Korean subjects over 20 years of age who had visited a Health Promotion Center in Korea. Carotid injury (increased carotid intima-media thickness or plaques) was evaluated by ultrasonography and arterial stiffness by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. The MetS components were assessed according to the Asian criteria of the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Both arterial stiffness and carotid injury gradually deteriorated with increase in the number of MetS components. Arterial stiffness and carotid injury were associated with different MetS components, each of which had varying impact. After adjustment for all possible confounders such as age, sex, and lifestyle, elevated blood pressure (BP) was found to have the strongest association with arterial stiffness, whereas central obesity, impaired fasting plasma glucose, and elevated BP had comparable connection with carotid atherosclerosis. Individual MetS components were related with subclinical atherosclerosis in different ways. Elevated BP showed the strongest association with arterial stiffness, while central obesity, impaired fasting plasma glucose, and elevated BP showed good correlation with carotid atherosclerosis. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
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