Anticholinergic drugs tied to increased risk of cognitive decline - Alzheimer's - Parkinson's, etc.

[aspergerian]

Anticholinergic drugs tied to increased risk of cognitive decline - Alzheimer's - Parkinson's, etc.

medicalxpress.com/news/2020...

[pvw2]

Use of anticholinergic drugs does not increase risk for dementia in Parkinson's disease patients

medicalxpress.com/news/2016...

List of Anticholinergics/antispasmodics:

drugs.com/drug-class/antich...

[aspergerian in reply to pvw2]

See:

Patients with Parkinson’s disease have an elevated risk of dementia;44 anticholinergic antiparkinson drugs have previously been associated with greater cognitive decline.45 This study provides further evidence that anticholinergic drugs should be avoided when treating patients with Parkinson’s disease.

In each case (antidepressants, antiparkinsons, and urologicals with an ACB score of 3) a dose-response effect is seen with a smaller, but noticeable, positive association between dementia and recorded use of less than 90 DDDs (see supplementary materials, table 2). It is possible that in some cases these low exposures reflect a longer exposure that is not captured in the patients’ current primary care record.

bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1315

Patients with Parkinson’s disease have an elevated risk of dementia;44 anticholinergic antiparkinson drugs have previously been associated with greater cognitive decline.45 This study provides further evidence that anticholinergic drugs should be avoided when treating patients with Parkinson’s disease.

In each case (antidepressants, antiparkinsons, and urologicals with an ACB score of 3) a dose-response effect is seen with a smaller, but noticeable, positive association between dementia and recorded use of less than 90 DDDs (see supplementary materials, table 2). It is possible that in some cases these low exposures reflect a longer exposure that is not captured in the patients’ current primary care record.

bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1315

bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1315

[MBAnderson in reply to pvw2]

The article was somewhat distressing because I take 1 of those drugs on the list, but then I, too, noticed the link below the article that you posted which offered us another article indicating just the opposite. "Use of anticholinergic drugs does not increase risk for dementia in Parkinson's disease patients."

Once again, for every study we find that says one thing, we can find another study that says the opposite.

[ElliotGreen in reply to MBAnderson]

There are quite a number of studies linking anticholinergic use to short-term cognitive impairment and longer-term increased risks of dementia.

[pvw2]

"Note that medications that relax the urethra, such as tamsulosin or terazosin (Flomax and Hytrin, respectively) are NOT anticholinergic. So they’re not risky in the same way, although they can cause orthostatic hypotension and other problems in older adults." {My understanding is that they tend to lower blood pressure.}

4 Types of Brain-Slowing Medication to Avoid if You’re Worried About Memory

betterhealthwhileaging.net/....

[MarionP]

That is a small list of anticholinergics, aren't there more?