BMJ  2006;332 (25 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7539.0-d

Anticholinergic drugs may cause cognitive decline in elderly people

Anticholinergic drugs may be associated with non-degenerative mild cognitive impairment in elderly people. Ancelin and colleagues (p 455) carried out a longitudinal cohort study of 372 people aged over 60 without dementia at recruitment. After one year, 80% of those who had used anticholinergic drugs continuously met the criteria for mild cognitive impairment, compared with 35% of non-users. However, after eight years, anticholinergic drug users were not at increased risk of developing dementia.


Figure 1
 Credit: CONOR CAFFREY/SPL

 


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Relevant Article

Non-degenerative mild cognitive impairment in elderly people and use of anticholinergic drugs: longitudinal cohort study
Marie L Ancelin, Sylvaine Artero, Florence Portet, Anne-Marie Dupuy, Jacques Touchon, and Karen Ritchie
BMJ 2006 332: 455-459. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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