Prevalence and Risk Factors for Opioid-Induced Constipation in an Older National Veteran Cohort

Bibliographic Details
Title: Prevalence and Risk Factors for Opioid-Induced Constipation in an Older National Veteran Cohort
Authors: Fern FitzHenry, Svetlana K. Eden, Jason Denton, Hui Cao, Aize Cao, Ruth Reeves, Guanhua Chen, Glenn Gobbel, Nancy Wells, Michael E. Matheny
Source: Pain Research and Management, Vol 2020 (2020)
Publisher Information: Wiley, 2020.
Publication Year: 2020
Collection: LCC:Medicine (General)
Subject Terms: Medicine (General), R5-920
More Details: Objectives. This research describes the prevalence and covariates associated with opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in an observational cohort study utilizing a national veteran cohort and integrated data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Methods. A cohort of 152,904 veterans with encounters between 1 January 2008 and 30 November 2010, an exposure to opioids of 30 days or more, and no exposure in the prior year was developed to establish existing conditions and medications at the start of the opioid exposure and determining outcomes through the end of exposure. OIC was identified through additions/changes in laxative prescriptions, all-cause constipation identification through diagnosis, or constipation related procedures in the presence of opioid exposure. The association of time to constipation with opioid use was analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression adjusted for patient characteristics, concomitant medications, laboratory tests, and comorbidities. Results. The prevalence of OIC was 12.6%. Twelve positively associated covariates were identified with the largest associations for prior constipation and prevalent laxative (any laxative that continued into the first day of opioid exposure). Among the 17 negatively associated covariates, the largest associations were for erythromycins, androgens/anabolics, and unknown race. Conclusions. There were several novel covariates found that are seen in the all-cause chronic constipation literature but have not been reported for opioid-induced constipation. Some are modifiable covariates, particularly medication coadministration, which may assist clinicians and researchers in risk stratification efforts when initiating opioid medications. The integration of CMS data supports the robustness of the analysis and may be of interest in the elderly population warranting future examination.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1203-6765
1918-1523
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/1203-6765; https://doaj.org/toc/1918-1523
DOI: 10.1155/2020/5165682
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/ebd408c7ecf545b686c02ce8be938855
Accession Number: edsdoj.bd408c7ecf545b686c02ce8be938855
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:12036765
19181523
DOI:10.1155/2020/5165682
Published in:Pain Research and Management
Language:English