Trends in medication use by body mass index and age between 1988 and 2012 in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Whether the increase in prescription medication use over time differs by age and obesity status is unclear.

METHOD: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1988 and 2012 was analyzed (n = 57,543).

FINDINGS: Increased medication use over time was seen in older individuals of all body mass index (BMI) classes, with the most prominent increase in those with obesity (p<0.001). For example, older men (≥65y) with obesity took 3.1 more medications between 1988 and 2012 versus 1.5 for normal weight older men. There were minimal differences in medication use over time in younger individuals. In men, the odds of taking antihypertensives, lipid-lowering medication, antidiabetics, and antidepressants increased with age, time and BMI wherein the association between age and medication use was magnified over time (age*time, p<0.05). In women, older women with overweight or obesity had a greater increase in the likelihood of antihypertensives and antidiabetics medication over time (BMI*time, p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Older individuals of all BMI classes may be driving the increase in medication use over time. However, the rise in the likelihood of taking cardiometabolic medications over time was generally not different between those with or without obesity in men with some increases seen in older women. Further research may be required to assess accessibility and barriers to medication use among certain demographics.