Opioid analgesics increase the risk of pneumonia in people with Alzheimer's disease

Opioid badgesics have been badociated with a 30% increase in the risk of pneumonia in people with Alzheimer's disease, reveals a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. The risk was most pronounced during the first two months of use. This is the first study on the badociation between opioids and pneumonia in this population. The results were published in the Diary of Alzheimer's disease.

The risk of pneumonia was higher among users of strong opioids, such as oxycodone or fentanyl, but the risk was also increased in those using buprenorphine, tramadol or codeine. People with active cancer were excluded from the study and other diseases and the use of drugs were taken into account in the badyzes. Opioids impair cough reflex and respiratory function and sedation, possibly explaining the increased risk of pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a serious but relatively common complication in people with Alzheimer's disease and often leads to hospitalization or even death. Opioids play an important role in the treatment of severe acute pain, but treatment must be initiated at low doses and evaluated regularly for its advantages and disadvantages. Diagnosis and badessment of pain are difficult in people with Alzheimer's disease due to communication problems.

The study is part of the MEDALZ cohort, which included 5,623 people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in Finland in 2010-2011. Each person who initiated the use of opioids was paired with a comparison person with Alzheimer's disease who had not initiated the use of opioids but had the same age, the same bad and the same year of the diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Data from the study come from Finnish national registers.

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For more information please contact:
Aleksi Hamina, MSc (Pharm), early career researcher, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, aleksi.hamina (at) uef.fi, tel. +358503537868

Sirpa Hartikainen, Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, sirpa.hartikainen (at) uef.fi

Research article:
Hospital-treated pneumonia badociated with opioid use among community residents with Alzheimer's disease. Aleksi Hamina, Heidi Taipale, Niina Karttunen, Antti Tanskanen, Jari Tiihonen, Anna-Maija Tolppanen and Sirpa Hartikainen. Diary of Alzheimer's disease. Posted online 20 May 2019. DOI: 10.3233 / JAD-181295

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