Background/Aim: The purpose of the conducted study was to show the
frequencies of PIM in the elderly population with cardiovascular diseases
and to describe factors with significant impact on PIM present in the
elderly population. Methods: The study was performed as a retrospective,
cross-sectional study. The research was performed during 2018 , the relevant
data collected during the period from January 2016 to December 2017. Study
sample included 1500 patients over 65 years with cardiovasculares disease
who had medical records at the Institute for Gerontology and Palliative
Care, Belgrade. Assessment of PIM was done by standard international
criteria American Geriatrics Society 2015 updated Beers Criteria for
potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. Results: PIM
frequency in elderly population was 70, 3%. In relation to gender, it was
more frequent in female elders. Mean number of prescribed drugs was similar
for 2016 and 2017, respectively 7, 2 and 7, 3. The most common were: medium
acting benzodiazepines (70, 9%), central ? blockers (23, 98%), and
antipsychotics (typical and atypical) (20,94%). The most common comorbidity
was noted in a group labelled with the international disease classification
I00-I99 which inlcudes heart and blood vessel diseases (n=2658; 36.9%). The
most common diagnoses belonged to the subgroup I10-I15 hypertensive diseases
(n=1298; 18%), I20-I25 ischemic heart diseases (n= 542; 7.5%), I30-I52,
other forms of heart disease (n=705; 9.8%), I60-I69 cerebrovascular diseases
(n =94; 1.3%), and I80- I89 diseases of veins, lymph vessels and lymph nodes
(n=12; 0.17%). Predictor for PIM were numerous: polypharmacy, gender,
nicotine use, cognitive status, nutrition state and number of diseases
registered at study sample. Conclusion: Cardiovascular diseases in the
elderly population are associated with a high prevalence of potentially
inappropriate drug prescribing. Creating health recommendations for
prescribing drugs in the elderly that would emphasize these factors could
reduce the prevalence of PIM in this population