Clinical Research Directory

Anticholinergic Burden and Osteoporosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive, inflammatory rheumatological disease. Use of corticosteroids for more than 3 months in RA treatment is considered an important risk factor in terms of developing secondary osteoporosis and increasing the risk of fracture. The cumulative effect of taking one or more drugs with anticholinergic properties is called anticholinergic load. It is stated that anticholinergic load also increases the risk of fracture in individuals. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of drugs used by patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) on anticholinergic load and fracture risk. The Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) will be used to assess fracture risk in patients. Materials and methods: The study was planned as a prospective cohort study. The study will included 100 patients who were followed up as outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in the physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic between 2024-2025. Patients of both genders and over 18 years of age diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis will be included in the study. Patients with systemic diseases or medications affecting bone metabolism and those with metallic materials in the hip or lumbar vertebrae affecting bone mineral density measurement will be excluded from the study. Demographic characteristics, systemic diseases, medications used, bone density measurement and blood test values of the patients will be recorded. Patients taking multiple medications with anticholinergic effects create an anticholinergic burden. The Anticholinergic Drug Scale, Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale and Anticholinergic Risk Scale will be used to measure anticholinergic burden in the study.

Pharmacist Led Intervention to Improve Medication Use in Older In-patients Living With Frailty: the Drug Burden Index

Older people in Canada commonly take multiple medicines for their health conditions. Certain medicines, especially when taken together can lead to serious harms, such as falls. As people age and their health changes, medicines that were once helpful may become harmful. Healthcare professionals recognise that better tools and procedures are needed to make sure that people are taking the right medicines at the right time. A tool has been recently created, called the Drug Burden Index (DBI) Calculator©, to be used by hospital pharmacists. It helps them identify which medicines (and combinations of medicines) are harmful to older people. This tool also produces reports for the doctor and for the older person and their family. In this study, hospital pharmacists will use the DBI calculator© during their normal activities. The investigators will measure what effect this has on the medicines used and health outcomes in older adults. The investigators are also interested in what influences use and impact of the calculator. For example, there may be differences in use in older males compared to females or in the benefits seen in people living with frailty compared to those who are not frail. Use of the DBI calculator© may lead to improvements in how medicines are managed in hospital. This would mean less drug costs and drug side effects. Overall, the project may lead to improving the quality of life for older Canadians. Hypothesis: Implementation of a ward-based, pharmacist-led intervention utilizing the DBI Calculator© will lead to optimization of medications, reduced DBI and improved health outcomes in frail and non-frail older adults.