Opioid and Other Medication Use and General Health Status in a Cohort of Older Adults

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of opioids and other medications in a cohort of older adults was associated with self-reported health status. Methods: Among participants in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Screening Trial linked to Medicare Part D claims data and answering a quality-of-life questionnaire, we examined the relationship between medication use over a 5-year period and various self-reported health status variables assessed several years later, including overall health status (STATUS) and trouble with activities of daily living (TADL). Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for the health status variables and metrics of medication use, including >60-day use, and for opiates, chronic use, with models controlling for demographics (model I), additionally for chronic conditions (model II), and additionally for other medication use (model III). Results: The study cohort included 22,844 PLCO participants (56% women, 90% non-Hispanic whites); 4.2% had chronic opioid use and 12.5% used for >60 days. Fair-poor STATUS was reported in 37.9% of participants with chronic opioid use versus 15.0% of participants without (p < 0.001). ORs for chronic opioid use for fair-poor STATUS (compared to good-excellent) were significantly elevated in all models but decreased from model I (OR = 3.6; 95% CI :3.1–4.1) to model II (OR = 2.7; 95% CI :2.3–3.1) to model III (OR = 2.1; 95% CI :1.8–2.5). ORs for TADL were generally similar to those for STATUS. Other drug classes also had significantly elevated model III ORs for fair-poor versus good-excellent STATUS (range 1.1–1.6). Conclusion: Frequent use of various medication classes correlated with measures of future health status in an elderly population, with opioids having the strongest association. The magnitude of the association decreased after controlling for concurrent chronic conditions but remained elevated. Future research should consider how the use of opioids and other medications impact measures of health-related quality of life.