%0 Journal Article
%T Cohort profile: the Finnish Medication and Alzheimer's disease (MEDALZ) study
%A Anna-Maija Tolppanen
%A Antti Tanskanen
%A Heidi Taipale
%A Jari Tiihonen
%A Marjaana Koponen
%A Piia Lavikainen
%A Sirpa Hartikainen
%J -
%D 2016
%R 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012100
%X Purpose The aim of the Medicine use and Alzheimer's disease (MEDALZ) study is to investigate the changes in medication and healthcare service use among persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of medications in this group. This is important, because the number of persons with AD is rapidly growing and even though they are a particularly vulnerable patient group, the number of representative, large-scale studies with adequate follow-up time is limited.

Participants MEDALZ contains all residents of Finland who received a clinically verified diagnosis of AD between 2005 and 2011 and were community-dwelling at the time of diagnosis (N=70ˋ719). The diagnosis is based on the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCS-ADRDA) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for Alzheimer's disease. The cohort contains socioeconomic data (education, occupational status and taxable income, 1972每2012) and causes of death (2005每2012), data from the prescription register (1995每2012), the special reimbursement register (1972每2012) and the hospital discharge register (1972每2012). Future updates are planned.

The average age was 80.1ˋyears (range 34.5每104.6ˋyears). The majority of cohort (65.2%) was women. Currently, the average length of follow-up after AD diagnosis is 3.1ˋyears and altogether 26ˋ045 (36.8%) persons have died during the follow-up.

Findings Altogether 53% of the cohort had used psychotropic drugs within 1ˋyear after AD diagnoses. The initiation rate of for example, benzodiazepines and related drugs and antidepressants began to increase already before AD diagnosis.

Future plans We are currently assessing if these, and other commonly used medications are related to adverse events such as death, hip fractures, head injuries and pneumonia
%U https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/7/e012100