Medical, psychological, and sociological aspects of drug treatment in 80-year-olds.

The use of drugs was related to medical, psychological, and sociological parameters in an 80-year-old population. Use of drugs on the whole, as well as the use of specific drug categories such as digitalis, diuretics, other cardiovascular drugs, hypnotics, sedatives, analgesics and laxatives were related to an impaired quality of life. However, the use of vitamins and herbal pills was not related to an impaired quality of life. Use of hypnotics was related to neuroticism and to depressed mood. Persons using digitalis, diuretics and other cardiovascular drugs felt more lonely and had a stronger feeling of loneliness. According to a discriminant analysis, five questions could identify 70% of the persons using drugs. These questions were: frequency of visits to the doctor, subjective health, smoking (smokers used fewer drugs), feeling of loneliness, and objective health.