Heat Waves, Medication Use, and Adverse Health Outcomes Among Older Adults

描述（由申请人提供）：在过去的50年里，美国热浪的频率和持续时间显著增加。在一个典型的年份里，热浪造成的死亡人数比洪水、龙卷风和地震加起来还要多。由于气候变暖、城市化和人口老龄化的协同效应，极端高温事件对健康的影响可能会增加。老年人尤其容易受到热浪的影响，这不仅是因为年龄和已有的医疗条件，还因为他们服用多种药物治疗合并症。一些研究人员提出了关于热浪和药物使用之间相互作用的假设。鉴于老年人中药物使用和多种用药的高流行率，了解药物使用和热浪的综合影响非常重要。一个由气候学、药物流行病学、卫生服务和成果研究专家组成的多学科团队将协同工作，设计和开展分析，以(1)确定和量化潜力

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The frequency and duration of heat waves have increased significantly over the last 50 years in the United States. Heat waves killed more people during a typical year than floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes combined. The health impacts of extreme heat events are likely to increase as a result of the synergistic effects of a warming climate, urbanization, and the aging of the population. Older people are especially vulnerable to heat waves, not only because of age and preexisting medical conditions, but also because of the multiple medications they take for comorbid conditions. Several researchers have proposed hypotheses about interactions between heat waves and medication use. Given the high prevalence of medication use and polypharmacy among older persons, it is important to understand the combined impact of medication use and heat waves. A multidisciplinary team of experts in climatology, pharmacoepidemiology, and health services and outcomes research will work collaboratively to design and conduct analyses to (1) identify and quantify the potential magnifying effects of commonly used prescription medications on the short- and long-term health consequences of heat waves and the heat-related side effects of these medications, and (2) quantify health care resource use (hospitalizations, intensive care unit stays, and costs) during heat waves, considering both the direct effects of heat waves and the effects of drug-heat wave interactions. To conduct the proposed analyses, we will link several existing data sources, including temperature, humidity, heat index, and air pollution data, data on health care resource use in the Medicare program, and longitudinal data on pharmacy dispensing. The drug categories of interest include antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants, diuretics, antihypertensive drugs, antiepileptic drugs, anti-Parkinson drugs, lipid-lowering agents, and other medications with significant anticholinergic properties that may increase the risk of heat stroke by disturbing thermoregulation, inducing fluid and electrolyte imbalance, or decreasing thirst or that have known adverse effects that may be magnified by extreme heat conditions. The conceptual framework and methods being developed in the proposal can be adapted to other populations and data sources, including other climate data and electronic health records. At the completion of this preliminary study, we will have provided the first clear analyses on interactions between heat waves and commonly used prescription drugs among older patients. These data may inform clinicians, policy makers, patients, and other key stakeholders by characterizing the scope of the problem and can be further expanded to assist in the development of tailored guides and adaptive strategies for vulnerable populations.