The study has enrolled 200 participants who were interviewed. The sample size was divided into two groups, 100 were non polypharmacy group and the other 100 were patients who were among the polypharmacy group.
The general median age for the sample size was 59 years (SD=+- 12.7), the maximum age was 88 years, the minimum 20 years. 28.5% (57) were between the ages of 50 to 59, 27.5% (55) were between 60 to 69, 22.5% (45) were 70 years and older. This is summarized in Figure 1. 50.5% (101) of the participants were male and the remaining 49.9% (99) were females.
Among the participants, the prevalence of hypertension was 71.5% (143), and 61.5% (123) were diagnosed with ischemic heart disease, 38.5% (77) and 14.5% (29) were known cases of diabetes mellitus and had some form of arrhythmia respectively. While a smaller number of participants had rheumatoid 7.5% (15) and Thyroid 3.75% (7.5) diseases. Keeping in mind that many of the patients interviewed presented with multiple numbers of chronic diseases rather than a single chronic condition. As summarized in Figure 2.
In the non-polypharmacy group, all participants were taking four or less medications, however among the polypharmacy group, 38% (38) of participants were receiving five medications, 43% (43) were receiving 6 to 8 medications and 19% (19) nine or more medications. This is summarized in Figure 3.Regarding the duration of medication’s usage, 45% (90) of the participants were taking these medications on an average period of two to nine years.
Based on the data obtained it was quite evident that both the non-polypharmacy group and the polypharmacy group presented with some form of similar family history of grief. The prevalence in the non-polypharmacy group was 37%, while in the polypharmacy group was 38%.
The prevalence of depression among non-polypharmacy group (control) participants were 11% (11), 13% (13) cases were borderline. The remaining 76% (76) were found to be non-cases of depression, according to the used HADS scoring system. Compared to that, 31% (31) of the polypharmacy group had depression, 18% (18) were borderline and the remaining 51% (51) were non-cases for depression. This finding was statistically significant with P <0.001. Summarized in Figure 4.
As for anxiety, in the non-polypharmacy group, 7% (7) were found to be cases, 16% (16) were borderline and 77% (77) were non-cases for anxiety. In the polypharmacy group, 19% (19) had anxiety, 15% (15) were borderline and the remaining 66% (66) were found to be non-cases for anxiety. This finding was statistically significant with P =0.046. This is summarized in Figure 5.
One of the interesting points to be taken into consideration was, the prevalence of depression and anxiety was increasing with an increase in number of medications taken by the patients, in other words, the higher the number of medications used, the higher the prevalence of psychological symptoms were noticed among the participants.
Depression was present in 11% of patients who took 4 or less medications (the non-polypharmacy group). The prevalence increased to 21.1%, 34.9% and 42.1% in patients who took five, six to eight, and more than nine medications, respectively. This finding was statistically significant with P =0.003. This is summarized in Figure 6.
Anxiety was present in 7% of patients who took 4 or less medications (the non-polypharmacy group). The prevalence increased to 15.8%, 16.3% and 31.6% in patients who took five, six to eight, and more than nine medications, respectively. However, this finding was not statistically significant with P =0.08.
Regarding the frequency of Depression for both genders, it was noticed that there was a higher proportion of participants with depression among the polypharmacy group than the non-polypharmacy group.
specifically, 7.4% of male participants in the non-polypharmacy group had depression. This frequency increased to 23.4% in the polypharmacy group. This finding was statistically significant with P =0.024. regarding the female participants, 15.2% of them in the non-polypharmacy group had depression and frequency has increased to 37.7% among the polypharmacy group. This finding was statistically significant with P =0.028. This is summarized in Figure 7.
Anxiety, which was one of the psychological presentations that was focused in our study, had higher frequencies among the polypharmacy group in both genders.
Among male patients, 1.9% in the non-polypharmacy group had anxiety. And this has increased to 8.5% among the polypharmacy group. However statistically this finding was not significant with P =0.356.
Among female participants, 13% of the non-polypharmacy group had anxiety comparing to the 28.3% of the polypharmacy group. This finding was not statistically significant with P =0.199.
Hypertension as a specific entity, was closely related to anxiety among participants, 17.5% of hypertensive patients were noted to have anxiety according to the HADS scoring, and this finding was statistically significant with P =0.008.
Patients who were suffering from different forms of cardiological arrhythmias also noted to be more anxious than others, with 17.2% of the cases having anxiety according to the scoring system of HADS, and this finding was statistically significant with P =0.021.
Diabetic patients tended to present with more psychological symptoms, the frequency of depression and anxiety among this specific group of participants were found to be 35.1% and 14.3% respectively. These findings were statistically significant with P <0.001 and P =0.038 respectively.
Focusing on patients with rheumatoid diseases, a great proportion of them (40%) had depression. And this finding was statistically significant with P =0.01.
This is summarized in Table 1 and Table 2 for both anxiety and depression frequency among patients with specific chronic diseases.
Table 1
Frequency of Anxiety among Patients with Different Risk Factors and Their P Values.
Risk factor
|
Prevalence of anxiety
|
P value
|
Hypertension
|
17.5%
|
P=0.008
|
Arrhythmia Diseases
|
17.2%
|
P=0.021
|
Diabetes Mellitus
|
14.3%
|
P=0.038
|
Rheumatoid Disease
|
26.7%
|
P=0.074
|
Table 2
Frequency of Depression among Patients with Different Risk Factors and Their P Values.
Risk factor
|
Prevalence of depression
|
P value
|
Hypertension
|
24.5%
|
P=0.078
|
Arrhythmia Diseases
|
31%
|
P=0.217
|
Diabetes Mellitus
|
35.1%
|
P<0.001
|
Rheumatoid Disease
|
40%
|
P=0.01
|