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Increased risk of adverse events in non-cancer patients with chronic and high-dose opioid use-A health insurance claims analysis.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Chronic and high dose opioid use may result in adverse events. We analyzed the risk associated with chronic and high dose opioid prescription in a Swiss population. METHODS:Using insurance claims data covering one-sixth of the Swiss population, we analyzed recurrent opioid prescriptions (?2 opioid claims with at least 1 strong opioid claim) between 2006 and 2014. We calculated the cumulative dose in milligrams morphine equivalents (MED) and treatment duration. Excluded were single opioid claims, opioid use that was cancer treatment related, and opioid use in substitution programs. We assessed the association between the duration of opioid use, prescribed opioid dose, and benzodiazepine use with emergency department (ED) visits, urogenital and pulmonary infections, acute care hospitalization, and death at the end of the episode. RESULTS:In 63,642 recurrent opioid prescription episodes (acute 38%, subacute 7%, chronic 25.8%, very chronic (>360 days) episodes 29%) 18,336 ED visits, 30,209 infections, 19,375 hospitalizations, and 9,662 deaths occurred. The maximum daily MED dose was <20 mg in 15.8%, 20-<50 mg in 16.6%, 50-<100 mg in 21.6%, and ?100 mg in 46%. Compared to acute episodes (<90 days), episode duration was an independent predictor of ED visits (chronic OR 1.09 (95% CI 1.03-1.15), very chronic (>360 days) OR 1.76 (1.67-1.86)) for adverse effects; infections (chronic OR 1.74 (1.66-1.82), very chronic 4.16 (3.95-4.37)), and hospitalization (chronic: OR 1.22 (1.16-1.29), very chronic OR 1.82 (1.73-1.93)). The risk of death decreased over time (very chronic OR 0.46 (0.43-0.50)). A dose dependent increased risk was observed for ED visits, hospitalization, and death (?100mg daily MED OR 1.21 (1.13-1.29), OR 1.29 (1.21-1.38), and OR 1.67, 1.50-1.85, respectively). A concomitant use of benzodiazepines increased the odds for ED visits by 46% (OR 1.46, 1.41-1.52), infections by 44% (OR 1.44, 1.41-1.52), hospitalization by 12% (OR 1.12, 1.07-1.1), and death by 45% (OR 1.45, 1.37-1.53). CONCLUSION:The length of opioid use and higher prescribed morphine equivalent dose were independently associated with an increased risk for ED visits and hospitalizations. The risk for infections, ED visits, hospitalizations, and death also increased with concomitant benzodiazepine use.

SUBMITTER: Burgstaller JM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7489518 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Increased risk of adverse events in non-cancer patients with chronic and high-dose opioid use-A health insurance claims analysis.

Burgstaller Jakob M JM Held Ulrike U Signorell Andri A Blozik Eva E Steurer Johann J Wertli Maria M MM

PloS one 20200914 9

<h4>Background</h4>Chronic and high dose opioid use may result in adverse events. We analyzed the risk associated with chronic and high dose opioid prescription in a Swiss population.<h4>Methods</h4>Using insurance claims data covering one-sixth of the Swiss population, we analyzed recurrent opioid prescriptions (≥2 opioid claims with at least 1 strong opioid claim) between 2006 and 2014. We calculated the cumulative dose in milligrams morphine equivalents (MED) and treatment duration. Excluded ...[more]

PMID: 32925928

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Project description:Rationale: Older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at substantially increased risk for medication-related adverse events. Two frequently prescribed classes of drugs that pose a particular risk to this patient group are opioids and benzodiazepines. Research on this topic has yielded conflicting findings.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine, among older adults with COPD, whether: 1) independent or concurrent use of opioid and benzodiazepine medications was associated with hospitalizations for respiratory events, and 2) this association was exacerbated by the presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Methods: We conducted a case-control study of Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥66 years, who were diagnosed with COPD in 2013, using the 5% national Medicare database. Cases (n = 3,232) were defined as patients hospitalized for a primary COPD-related respiratory diagnosis in 2014 and were matched with up to two control subjects (n = 6,247) on index date, age, sex, socioeconomic status, comorbidity, presence of OSA, COPD medication, and COPD complexity.Results: In comparison to the referent (no opioid or benzodiazepine use), opioid use alone (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52-1.97), benzodiazepine use alone (aOR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.21-1.66), and concurrent opioid/ benzodiazepine use (aOR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.94-2.77) in the 30 days before the event/index date were all associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for a respiratory condition. Risk of hospitalization was higher with concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine use when compared with use of either medication alone. There was no statistically significant interaction between OSA and either of the drugs, alone or in combination. However, the adverse respiratory effects of concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine use were increased in patients with a high degree of COPD complexity. All of the above findings persisted using exposure windows that extended to 60 and 90 days before the event/index date.Conclusions: Among older adults with COPD, use of opioid and benzodiazepine medications alone or in combination were associated with increased adverse respiratory events. The adverse effects of these medications were not exacerbated in patients with COPD-OSA overlap syndrome. However, the adverse impact of dual opioid and benzodiazepine was greater in patients with high-complexity COPD.

Project description:BACKGROUND:There exist several predictive risk models for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including some developed specifically for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the models developed for a diabetic population are based on information derived from medical records or laboratory results, which are not typically available to entities like payers or quality of care organizations. The objective of this study is to develop and validate models predicting the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with T2DM based on medical insurance claims data. METHODS:Patients with T2DM aged 50 years or older were identified from the Optum™ Integrated Real World Evidence Electronic Health Records and Claims de-identified database (10/01/2006-09/30/2016). Risk factors were assessed over a 12-month baseline period and cardiovascular events were monitored from the end of the baseline period until end of data availability, continuous enrollment, or death. Risk models were developed using logistic regressions separately for patients with and without prior CVD, and for each outcome: (1) major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; i.e., non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, CVD-related death); (2) any MACE, hospitalization for unstable angina, or hospitalization for congestive heart failure; (3) CVD-related death. Models were developed and validated on 70% and 30% of the sample, respectively. Model performance was assessed using C-statistics. RESULTS:A total of 181,619 patients were identified, including 136,544 (75.2%) without prior CVD and 45,075 (24.8%) with a history of CVD. Age, diabetes-related hospitalizations, prior CVD diagnoses and chronic pulmonary disease were the most important predictors across all models. C-statistics ranged from 0.70 to 0.81, indicating that the models performed well. The additional inclusion of risk factors derived from pharmacy claims (e.g., use of antihypertensive, and use of antihyperglycemic) or from medical records and laboratory measures (e.g., hemoglobin A1c, urine albumin to creatinine ratio) only marginally improved the performance of the models. CONCLUSION:The claims-based models developed could reliably predict the risk of cardiovascular events in T2DM patients, without requiring pharmacy claims or laboratory measures. These models could be relevant for providers and payers and help implement approaches to prevent cardiovascular events in high-risk diabetic patients.

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Increased risk of adverse events in non-cancer patients with chronic and high-dose opioid use-A health insurance claims analysis.

Publications

Increased risk of adverse events in non-cancer patients with chronic and high-dose opioid use-A health insurance claims analysis.

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