DRUG UTILIZATION PATTERN AMONG GERIATRICS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM LIFE STYLE DISEASES

Jayakumar K. S.* and Dr. A. Pasupathi

ABSTRACT

Lifestyle diseases are ailments that are primarily based on the day to day habits of people. The main cause identified was substantial changes in people‟s diet along with the lack of physical activity. A Prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in Eraviperoor Grama Panchayath of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, Indiaby collecting information on demographic parameters, prevalence of lifestyle disease, risk factors, and co-morbidities, impact of social habits, prescribing and usage pattern of drugs via predesigned structured questionnaire along with adherence and non- adherence parameter with its reasons. Unemployed, Geriatric patients with in the age group 61-70, females and those with less physical activity accounted for higher lifestyle disease. Social history of alcohol, smoking and tobacco were the most prominent risk factors associated for development of lifestyle disease. Hypertension was the most prevalent lifestyle disease in geriatrics followed by diabetes mellitus, Dyslipidemia and osteoporosis.Patients with diabetes were more prone to hypertension and the hypertension, dyslipidemiacombinedly was associated with the development of coronary artery disease.Adherence to drug therapy measured with the help of a score sheet of fourteen questionnaires, highlighted that majority of thepopulation adhered to drug therapy and the main reason for non-adherence was found to be lack of knowledge about their medications.The pattern of prescribing medications of lifestyle diseases according to the standard guideline were monitored and a deviation was detected in our study.

Keywords: Lifestyle diseases, Geriatrics, Diabetes Mellitus, cardiovascular disease, Hypertension, Medication adherence.