Table 1 Characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries initiating antihypertensive monotherapy between 2008 and 2011 (n = 122,629)

Mean Age, std. (years)

74, 6.7

75, 6.7

74, 12.9

75, 7.0

74, 7.1

76, 7.4

75, 10.0

75, 7.0

75, 10.8

Mean Frailty Index, std

0.1, 0.1

0.1, 0.1

0.1, 0.2

0.1, 0.1

0.1, 0.1

0.1, 0.2

0.1, 0.2

0.1, 0.1

0.1, 0.2

Male

42.0

36.6

41.5

41.7

42.2

37.8

42.1

29.3

42.4

White Race

87.1

79.0

87.3

88.8

86.9

81.8

86.9

86.5

87.2

Low-Income Subsidy

5.3

5.5

5.5

4.6

5.4

5.8

5.4

5.0

5.2

1–2 Meds Filled^a

61.3

62.4

61.8

58.6

61.4

59.8

62.5

66.9

62.5

3–4 Meds Filled^a

27.7

26.5

27.4

28.7

27.2

27.1

26.3

24.7

26.5

5 + Meds Filled^a

11.1

11.2

10.8

12.7

11.4

13.0

11.3

8.5

11.1

Loop Diuretic

5.8

5.9

5.9

7.0

6.1

6.4

6.0

3.7

6.4

Antiarrhythmic

2.6

4.2

2.5

5.4

2.8

4.5

2.7

2.7

3.0

Antidepressant^b

15.2

14.9

15.2

16.0

15.6

15.9

15.6

15.4

15.5

Antipileptic^b

7.4

7.3

7.3

8.0

7.5

8.2

7.6

7.7

7.4

Anxiolytic

3.4

3.4

3.5

4.0

3.6

4.1

3.6

3.7

3.5

Benzodiazpene^b

1.1

1.0

1.1

1.4

1.2

1.3

1.2

1.3

1.1

Bisphosphonate

10.6

12.4

10.6

11.2

10.4

11.6

10.7

13.0

10.8

Antipsychotic^b

3.5

2.8

3.5

4.2

3.7

4.9

3.7

3.8

3.7

Skeletal Muscle Relaxant^b

6.2

6.2

6.2

6.5

6.5

6.3

6.4

6.5

6.4

Opioid

27.0

26.2

27.4

30.2

27.2

29.5

27.5

28.0

28.2

Hypnotic^b

6.1

7.9

6.0

7.5

6.1

7.1

6.2

6.7

6.2

Diabetes

31.6

30.6

31.0

19.0

32.8

18.3

31.4

13.5

32.9

Chronic Kidney Disease

8.7

10.5

8.8

10.6

9.4

13.1

9.3

6.3

9.8

Parkinson’s Disease

1.2

1.1

1.2

1.5

1.2

1.5

1.2

1.3

1.2

Alzheimer’s Disease

3.2

2.4

3.1

3.0

3.4

4.4

3.3

3.1

3.6

Osteoporosis

14.1

17.3

14.2

16.0

14.1

17.4

14.4

16.9

14.6

Arrhythmia

10.5

10.9

10.4

32.9

10.6

25.4

10.6

8.5

11.6

Osteoarthritis

14.4

17.8

14.3

16.1

14.7

15.5

14.9

15.7

15.1

Rheumatoid Arthritis

2.5

3.4

2.5

3.2

2.6

3.0

2.7

2.5

2.6

Stroke

13.7

13.5

13.5

16.6

15.0

16.4

15.1

10.3

14.9

Myocardial Infarction

0.6

0.2

0.6

4.0

0.6

0.6

0.7

0.1

0.7

Hypertension

83.3

88.2

83.5

63.3

84.3

78.6

85.3

76.8

85.0

Orthostatic Hypotension

0.6

0.6

0.7

1.1

0.7

0.9

0.8

0.5

0.6

Syncope

3.8

4.2

3.7

7.4

4.0

6.1

4.2

3.0

4.3

Dementia

5.8

4.2

5.6

5.9

6.1

8.2

6.1

5.6

6.1

Urinary Incontinence

4.7

4.8

4.7

4.9

4.8

5.5

4.9

4.5

4.9

Dyslipidemia

64.8

70.2

64.2

64.0

65.7

58.2

65.3

57.2

65.3

Obesity

4.4

4.2

4.5

3.6

4.6

3.3

4.4

4.1

4.4

Home Oxygen Use

2.4

2.5

2.4

2.5

2.6

5.3

2.3

2.7

2.6

Walker/Wheelchair Use

2.2

2.4

2.2

2.8

2.3

3.3

2.3

2.4

2.5

Hospital Bed Use

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.9

0.5

0.5

0.6

Difficulty Walking

7.7

7.5

7.6

8.8

8.2

9.5

8.4

8.2

8.3

Vertigo

11.5

12.4

11.3

14.5

12.1

14.1

12.4

12.4

12.1

Ambulance Transport

6.9

4.7

6.8

12.4

7.3

12.5

7.3

5.4

7.5

Cancer Screenings

41.0

39.2

40.9

39.3

40.4

35.5

40.6

43.6

40.1

Hospital Admissions

13.2

10.1

13.2

25.5

13.6

23.8

13.4

10.0

14.3