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53/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 53 out of 100. Risk factors

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

32.5% of elderly with dementia and 16.9% without were treated with an opioid in 2015. For home-living elderly with dementia, there was a 4-fold difference in opioid use (9.4 to 36.8%) between municipalities compared to a 1.6-fold (12.7 to 20.2%) difference for elderly without. In nursing home residents there was a 2-fold difference (dementia: 26.5 to 55.2%; no dementia: 31.8 to 60.4%). Differences between the five regions were minor. Opioid use in elderly with dementia was frequent and almost twice as high compared to elderly without dementia, which may challenge patient safety. The pronounced geographical variations at municipality level, particularly among elderly with dementia, indicate differences in the approach to treatment of chronic pain in primary care. Our study suggests that more guidance on treatment of pain in elderly with dementia is needed.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Jensen‐Dahm, C., Zakarias, J. K., Gasse, C., & Waldemar, G. (2019). Geographical Variation in Opioid Use in Elderly Patients with Dementia: A Nationwide Study. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-190413

Vancouver

Jensen‐Dahm C, Zakarias JK, Gasse C, Waldemar G. Geographical Variation in Opioid Use in Elderly Patients with Dementia: A Nationwide Study. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease. 2019. doi:10.3233/jad-190413. PMID: 31322575.

BibTeX

@article{jensendahm2019-31322575,
  author  = {Jensen‐Dahm, Christina and Zakarias, Johanne Købstrup and Gasse, Christiane and Waldemar, Gunhild},
  title   = {{Geographical Variation in Opioid Use in Elderly Patients with Dementia: A Nationwide Study}},
  journal = {Journal of Alzheimer s Disease},
  year    = {2019},
  doi     = {10.3233/jad-190413},
  pmid    = {31322575},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-190413}
}

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Key findings

32.5% of elderly with dementia and 16.9% without were treated with an opioid in 2015.
For home-living elderly with dementia, there was a 4-fold difference in opioid use (9.4 to 36.8%) between municipalities compared to a 1.6-fold (12.7 to 20.2%) difference for elderly without.
In nursing home residents there was a 2-fold difference (dementia: 26.5 to 55.2%; no dementia: 31.8 to 60.4%).
Differences between the five regions were minor.
Opioid use in elderly with dementia was frequent and almost twice as high compared to elderly without dementia, which may challenge patient safety.

Why it matters

This study found that opioid use was frequent in elderly people with dementia and varied up to four-fold between municipalities, suggesting differences in how chronic pain is treated in primary care. It does not test a dementia treatment or prevention, so it cannot show how to cure or prevent dementia.

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Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Participants36,014
Effect size32.5%; 16.9%; 36.8%
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 53/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer s Disease)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	4 / 12	A snapshot of people at one point in time
Strength of evidence	1 / 5	Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	2 / 5	2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	4 / 4	36,014 participants
Effect reported	2 / 3	Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	3 / 7	Cited 22 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	1 / 5	2.4 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019
Impact for its field and year	2 / 6	Cited 2.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	1 / 6	Cited by 1 other studies in this library
Still being cited	1 / 4	Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Gunhild Waldemar: h-index 80 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	University of Copenhagen: institution h-index 1,378 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31322575)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	53 / 100	—

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