Commonly prescribed medicine carries risk of dementia|Study

Last updated on August 3rd, 2019 at 06:33 pm

The medicines with anticholinergic drugs we take for common problems such as cold is putting you in an increased risk of dementia.

According to a recent study Published online June 24, 2019, by JAMA Internal Medicine, there is an increased risk of developing dementia if we regularly consume anticholinergic drugs.

Scientist already knew that anticholinergic medicines have short-term cognitive adverse effects, but was uncertain whether long-term use of these drugs is associated with an increased risk of dementia.

But new British study found that people aged 55 and older who took strong anticholinergic medications daily for three years or more had a 50% increased risk of dementia.

So, what are anticholinergic drugs? how the research was carried? and what is the outcome of the research?

let us answer all these question in this article.

What are anticholinergic drugs?

Your doctors prescribe anticholinergic drugs to treat a wide group of conditions, including allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cold, bladder conditions like urinary incontinence, gastrointestinal problems, and Parkinson’s disease.

Anticholinergics drugs act by blocking the action of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter). Acetylcholine is responsible for regulating involuntary contractions in the lungs, airways, blood vessels, cardiovascular system, urinary tract, and GI tract.

The medication blocks acetylcholine from causing involuntary muscle movements in the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and other areas of the body.

Also read: Healthy lifestyle can reduce risk of dementia|Study

Research methodology

The research took place in England and there was a total number of 284,343 of participants. Out of which 58769 were already diagnosed with dementia and rest of 225574 were controlled group of age 55 years and above.

Researcher studied the prescription details of the participants and studied 56 drugs with strong anticholinergic properties to calculate measures of cumulative anticholinergic drug exposure.

Data were analyzed from the period of May 2016 to June 2018.

Result of the study

The researcher found that exposure to several types of strong anticholinergic drugs is associated with an increased risk of dementia. However, there was no increased risk of dementia among patients who took other types of anticholinergic drugs such as antihistamines (Benadryl) and gastrointestinal drugs.

These findings also highlight the importance of reducing exposure to anticholinergic drugs in middle-aged and older people.

Also read: Facebook profile can predict you have medical condition

Resource

1. Anticholinergic Drug Exposure and the Risk of Dementia, Research Published June 24, 2019 JAMA Intern Med):https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2736353