Background

This study aimed to investigate medication prescriptions for patients with myelomeningocele (MMC) across different age groups, particularly in adulthood and after middle age.

Methods

The Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC) database, based on medical claims data, was utilized for this analysis. Patients were divided into 10-year age groups, and prescriptions for analgesics, anticonvulsants, psychotropic drugs, lifestyle disease-related drugs, drugs for urinary incontinence, and laxatives were examined. To compare the differences in the utilization of medications unrelated to lifestyle-related diseases across different age groups, the data was categorized into three age groups: 19 or under, 20–39, and 40 or older.

Results

Among the 556 MMC patients, the percentage of those regularly prescribed analgesics increased from 2.8% in patients ≤ 19 to 31.7% in patients 40 or older (p < 0.01). Psychotropic medication use also increased with age, rising significantly from 6.3% in patients ≤ 19 to 34.6% in patients 40 or older (p < 0.01). Patients with MMC showed an increasing trend in prescriptions for lifestyle-related disease medications compared to the normal control group. Notably, the percentage of patients in their 30 s taking hypertension medication was 4.9%, significantly higher than the 0.86% in the control group (p = 0.029). In their 40 s, 22.9% of MMC patients were prescribed hyperlipidemia medication, significantly higher than the 3.9% in the control group (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Comprehensive multidisciplinary support and follow-up are crucial to enhance the quality of life for MMC patients, with particular attention to pain management, psychological care, and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases.

中文翻译：

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日本脊髓脊膜膨出患者终生用药调查

 背景

本研究旨在调查不同年龄段（尤其是成年期和中年以后）脊髓脊膜膨出（MMC）患者的药物处方。

 方法

本次分析使用了基于医疗索赔数据的日本医疗数据中心 (JMDC) 数据库。将患者分为10岁年龄组，检查镇痛药、抗惊厥药、精神药物、生活习惯病相关药物、尿失禁药物、泻药等处方。为了比较不同年龄组中与生活方式相关疾病无关的药物使用情况的差异，将数据分为三个年龄组：19岁或以下、20-39岁和40岁或以上。

 结果

在 556 名 MMC 患者中，定期服用镇痛药的比例从 ≤ 19 岁患者的 2.8% 增加到 40 岁或以上患者的 31.7%（p < 0.01）。精神药物的使用也随着年龄的增长而增加，从 19 岁以下患者的 6.3% 显着上升到 40 岁或以上患者的 34.6%（p < 0.01）。与正常对照组相比，MMC 患者的生活方式相关疾病药物处方呈增加趋势。值得注意的是，30 多岁的患者服用高血压药物的比例为 4.9%，显着高于对照组的 0.86%（p = 0.029）。在 40 多岁的时候，22.9% 的 MMC 患者接受了高脂血症药物治疗，显着高于对照组的 3.9% (p < 0.01)。

 结论

全面的多学科支持和随访对于提高 MMC 患者的生活质量至关重要，尤其要关注疼痛管理、心理护理和生活方式相关疾病的治疗。