How multiple health conditions change medicines' effects in older adults

Evaluating the role of multimorbidity in modulation medication effects in older adults

['FUNDING_R01'] · RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES · NIH-11289313

This project looks at how having multiple chronic illnesses changes the benefits and harms of heart and diabetes medicines for older adults using large Medicare records.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_R01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorRUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES (nih funded)
Locations1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11289313 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If you are an older adult with diabetes and other chronic conditions, researchers will use Medicare records from over 23 million people to see how multiple illnesses change medicine outcomes. They will apply a multimorbidity weighted index (MWI) to measure overall illness burden and compare outcomes for common cardiometabolic drugs across different levels of multimorbidity. Findings will be replicated in two other large databases to check reliability. The work aims to give clearer information about who is likely to benefit or be harmed by specific treatments.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are older U.S. adults (typically Medicare-eligible) with diabetes and other chronic cardiometabolic conditions whose medical records are captured in claims databases.

Not a fit: Younger adults under Medicare age, people without multiple chronic conditions, or those whose care is not captured in the study databases are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors tailor heart and diabetes treatments to older patients with multiple conditions to reduce harms and improve benefits.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows multimorbidity affects medication outcomes, but applying the multimorbidity weighted index at this national scale for cardiometabolic drugs is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Newark, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.