This application responds to PA-08-252 entitled """"""""Archiving and Development of Social behavioral Datasets in Aging Related Studies"""""""" which provides support for archiving and development of NIA supported data collection efforts. The primary objective of the current application is development of the MIDUS study by expanding the scope of medication data collected as part of the biomarker component of MIDUS II (P01 AGO20166). The biomarker data were obtained from a subsample of MIDUS II participants (n=1255) aged 35-84, who completed an overnight stay at one of three regional data collection sites. The biomarker data collection included an inventory of all medications (prescription, over the counter, alternative) being taken by participants, along with comprehensive biological assessments (cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, inflammatory, musculoskeletal). The medication inventories were completed by project staff and included detailed information about each medication (name of medication, dosage, route of administration, how frequently taken, how long taken). Users of MIDUS data routinely include medication data in their analyses using summary variables created using codes drawn from a standard pharmacologic taxonomy provided by the American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS). These analyses are constrained by competing logic systems (drug category logic, disease logic) underlying the pharmacologic taxonomy that was developed for prescription medications, which also does not include over-the-counter or alternative medications. Thus, the Specific Aims of this application are: (1) to expand the existing MIDUS medication data via linkage to the Multum Lexicon, a proprietary database containing detailed information on every available medication (prescription, over-the- counter, and many alternative medications), including therapeutic use and active ingredients;(2) to create new composite and summary variables that will facilitate analyses on how medication use is involved in healthy aging, including new variables indicating number of medications: (a) in each therapeutic category;(b) for specific health conditions having different therapeutic effects;and (c) number of medications having common active ingredients;and (3) Make the new data publicly available through the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), within ICPSR, in DDI (Data Documentation Initiative) format. The MIDUS -Multum Lexicon linkage will proceed via a labor intensive, multi-stage process that involves: (1) examining medication names for all medications (nearly 7,000 fields in total) to ensure consistency in nomenclature;(2) an iterative merging and cleaning process that includes updating MIDUS medication data as needed based on additional details available in the Multum Lexicon;(3) creating new summary variables, and;(4) creating documentation and preparing for public release.
Consistent with national trends, medication use is high among MIDUS participants. The proposed expansion of MIDUS medication data via linkage to the Multum Lexicon database will greatly enhance the scope and quality of the medication data available to all users of the MIDUS data. It will also, thereby, enhance the capacity of researchers to examine questions about the influence of medication use on health and aging with greater precision via a focus on effects of specific active ingredients or therapeutic outcomes.
