Spondyloarthritis & psoriatic arthritis
High burden of polypharmacy and comorbidity in persons with psoriatic arthritis: an analysis of claims data, stratified by age and sex
Authors' conclusion
Polypharmacy is common in PsA and is composed of PsA-specific medication as well as frequent medications for comorbidities, equally affecting women and men.
Study context
- Population
- Persons with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) on DMARD therapy in 2021, German BARMER health insurance database
- Exposure
- PsA on DMARD therapy vs sex- and age-matched controls without inflammatory arthritis
- PsAn = 11,984
- Outcome
- Polypharmacy (≥5 concomitant drugs)
Methodological detailsclaims data analysis, sex-matched and age-matched controls, linear regression model
- Claims data analysis
- Sex-matched and age-matched controls
- Linear regression model
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | PsA | Difference (units) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of medicationsWomen | mean 4.9 (SD 2.8) | 2.4 (2.34–2.43) | |
| Number of medicationsMen | 2.3 (2.21–2.35) | ||
| −10123Difference, units (linear scale) |
- Polypharmacy in PsA by sex: Women 52%
- Polypharmacy in PsA by sex: Men 45%
Polypharmacy in PsA by sex
- Polypharmacy strongly increased with age and comorbidity
Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) drug classes, PsA vs controls
- Musculoskeletal drugs, PsA vs controls
- 81% vs 30%
- Immunomodulatory drugs, PsA vs controls
- 56% vs 2.6%
- Cardiovascular drugs, PsA vs controls
- 62% vs 48%
- Alimentary tract/metabolic drugs, PsA vs controls
- 57% vs 31%
- Nervous system drugs, PsA vs controls
- 50% vs 31%
- All ATC drug classes significantly more frequent in PsA
Age-adjusted increase in number of medications per unit increase of Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index (RDCI)
- Men
- 0.98 (95% CI 0.95 to 1.01)
- Women
- 0.93 (95% CI 0.90 to 0.96)
Original publication
High burden of polypharmacy and comorbidity in persons with psoriatic arthritis: an analysis of claims data, stratified by age and sex. RMD Open. Published 9 March 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →