A family of common drugs – known as anticholinergics – have shown worrying links with dementia and cognitive impairment when used in later life. The results of a new study suggest that a variety of drugs used in the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, allergies and colds may have a cumulative side-effect that poses a serious risk to cognitive health.
The link has been suspected for some time and highlighted in prior studies – the latest adding fresh evidence to the long-standing theory.
Anticholinergics work by preventing acetylcholine within the body carrying out its normal function. In doing so, they have the potential to offer significant relief from a variety of urinary, respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. Just a few widely-used examples of such drugs include Unisom, Dimetapp, Zyprexa, Paxil and Benadryl.
By studying the brain scans of 451 adults with an average age of 73 in conjunction with cognitive test results, the research team was able to identify the apparent effects of anticholinergic drug use. 60 of the participants had been using such drugs for a minimum of a month at the time the study was carried out. There were also no signs or symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s in any of the participants.
It was discovered that among those taking anticholinergic drugs, brain thickness and volume in regions associated with cognitive function were significantly reduced. In addition, glucose processing levels were also lower in the anticholinergic drug group in areas of the brain associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s.
The researchers did however point out that for those in need of such drugs, the benefits may outweigh the risks.
“There are definitely medical benefits to all of the anticholinergic medications we looked at, which could outweigh the cognitive risks,” wrote Shannon Risacher, researcher at the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and the study’s lead author.
“But if alternative therapies are available that provide effective treatment of these conditions, patients and doctors might want to consider avoiding anticholinergic medications.”
By: Ed Jones (Modern Readers).
Review: Emerging Market Formulations &
Research Unit, Flagship Records.
For The #FacebookTeam