Prevalence and Risk Factors for Opioid-Induced Constipation in an Older National Veteran Cohort
Table 3
Hazard ratios of significant variables in veterans covered by the study.
Variable
Effect
Significance
Lower confidence interval
Upper confidence interval
Constipation/laxatives
Constipation within a year
2.25
<0.0001
2.16
2.34
Prevalent laxative
2.11
<0.0001
1.92
2.32
Preventative laxative, and no const. within a year
1.34
<0.0001
1.22
1.48
Preventative laxative, and const. within a year
1.18
0.007
1.05
1.34
Laxatives any route not prevalent
0.84
<0.001
0.77
0.93
Prior use (constipating medications) from 1 year to 61 days
0.82
<0.0001
0.75
0.90
Cardiovascular
Myocardial infarction
1.3
<0.0001
1.22
1.40
Unstable angina
1.13
0.003
1.04
1.22
Congestive heart failure
1.18
<0.0001
1.13
1.23
Anticoagulants (BL110)
1.11
<0.001
1.05
1.18
Antilipemic agents (CV350)
0.89
<0.001
0.84
0.95
Beta blockers/related (CV100)
0.88
<0.001
0.82
0.95
Revascularization CABG
0.87
<0.0001
0.83
0.91
Antibiotics
Quinolones (AM400)
1.26
<0.0001
1.16
1.38
Erythromycins/macrolides (AM200)
0.77
<0.001
0.66
0.90
Neural
Cerebrovascular disease
1.16
<0.0001
1.09
1.23
Fibromyalgia
0.87
0.005
0.80
0.96
Other
Antihistamines (AH000)
0.9
<0.001
0.85
0.95
Genitourinary medications (GU000)
0.86
<0.0001
0.81
0.92
Insulin (HS501)
0.84
<0.0001
0.80
0.90
Bicarbonate CO2
0.82
<0.0001
0.77
0.88
Androgens/anabolics (HS100)
0.77
0.009
0.64
0.94
More/less opioid
Antipsychotics (CN700)
1.27
<0.0001
1.13
1.42
Rheumatoid arthritis
0.89
0.03
0.81
0.99
Nonsalicylate NSAIs, antirheumatic (MS102)
0.88
0.031
0.79
0.99
Analgesics, topical (DE650)
0.84
<0.0001
0.77
0.91
Antigout agents (MS400)
0.8
<0.0001
0.75
0.85
Demographics
Race African American
1.32
<0.0001
1.26
1.38
Race unknown
0.75
<0.0001
0.72
0.79
Note. Drug classes are based on the Veterans Health Administration formulary. The five-character acronym following the drug class is the abbreviation for the drug class in the Veterans Health Administration. CABG: coronary artery bypass grafting.
