Use of pain relieving drugs in community-dwelling older people with and without type 2 diabetes. Issue 6 (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Karjalainen, Merja; Kautiainen, Hannu; Saltevo, Juha; Haanpää, Maija; Mäntyselkä, Pekka; Tiihonen, Miia
• Is Part Of: Primary care diabetes. Volume 14:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: 736
• Page End: 740
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: Diabetes mellitus -- Pain -- Analgesics -- Older people; Diabetes -- Periodicals; 616.462
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pcd.2020.05.016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-9918

Abstract

Highlights: The use of pain medication was similar in older persons with and without diabetes. A substantial proportion of patients with pain did not use any pain medication Pain medication used as needed was clearly more common than regular use Polypharmacy in persons with diabetes suggests the need for a pain treatment plan Abstract: Aims: To analyze the use of pain medication among community-dwelling people aged 65 years or older with and without type 2 diabetes in primary care. Methods: A total of 187 patients with and 176 patients without diabetes were randomly selected from a primary care sample of 389 patients with diabetes and 604 age- and gender-matched controls. Pain status was defined as no pain, nociceptive pain or neuropathic pain. Pain medication (paracetamol, NSAID, opioids, neuropathic pain medication) use was based on electronic patient records and checked by a physician during a health examination. Results: Some pain was present in 90 (51%) patients without and in 106 (57%) patients with diabetes (p = 0.55). Of the patients without diabetes, 109 (62%) and with diabetes 123 (66%) used some pain medication (p = 0.45). The respective proportions for the regular use were 13% and 11% and for the as needed use 56% and 61%. Diabetes was not associated with any of the pain medications used. The use of pain-relieving drugs was most common for neuropathic pain. Conclusions: The present study indicated that community-dwelling people with and without diabetes used pain medication similarly. Pain medication was used mostly as needed instead of being regular.