Objective: We investigated prevalence of Cardiovascular drugs and Oral anticoagulants (OAC) use among community-dwelling persons with and without Parkinson’s disease (PD) in relation to PD diagnosis.

Background: Cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases are more common among persons with PD. It is unknown whether they use cardiovascular drugs and OAC frequently or whether their use will change as PD progresses.

Method: Finnish study on Parkinson’s disease (FINPARK) is a nationwide register-based study representing all community dwellers; 22 189 with clinically verified PD diagnosis (1996-2015). We took recent cohort; 17 689 who got special reimbursement for PD in 2001-2015. Follow-up period for drug use was 1995-2019 and drugs prevalence was evaluated in 6-months evaluation periods from five years before and after diagnosis.

Results: Before the index date (PD diagnosis), use of cardiovascular drugs was more common among persons with PD (unadjusted OR = 1.10; 95% CI 1.07–1.14) compared to persons without PD, but due to the plateauing around PD diagnosis and gradual decrease, their use become less common among persons with PD after index date (unadjusted OR = 0.88; 95% CI 0.85–0.90) compared to persons without PD. Whereas OAC use was slightly higher among persons with PD before diagnosis (unadjusted OR = 1.09; 95% CI 1.04–1.15), this increased use kept same throughout the study period, even after diagnosis but with slight difference (unadjusted OR = 0.97; 95% CI 0.93–1.00) compared to persons without PD. On index date, Beta-blockers and Vitamin-K antagonists were most commonly used in both groups i.e. with and without PD.

Conclusion: Decline in cardiovascular drugs use after diagnosis among persons with PD, may be due to autonomic nerve system dysfunction causing orthostatic hypotension. Persons with PD had slightly higher prevalence of OAC use compared to persons without PD throughout the study period, this might be concerning as PD increases the risk of falling.

Note: This abstract is presented earlier in November 16-18 2022 at 14th Annual Nordic Pharmacoepidemiological Network (NorPEN) meeting held at Tampere University, Finland, but it has not been published any where yet as study is under process currently.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/prevalence-of-cardiovascular-drugs-and-oral-anticoagulants-use-among-persons-with-and-without-parkinsons-disease/