Celine Zadorsky CTV News London Reporter @CelineCTV Contact.
It’s easy to assume a change is simply another sign of the dementia, but too often the cause is actually a bladder infection.
"Current guidelines for doctors say that anticholinergic drugs should be avoided for frail older people because of their impact on memory and thinking, but doctors should consider these new findings for all over-65s as long-term use could raise the risk of dementia. "With many different medicines having at least some anticholinergic activity, one focus should be de-prescribing.
"Dr Ian Maidment, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at Aston University and lead pharmacist on the study, said: "We already have strong evidence that anticholinergics cause confusion and in the short-term will potentially worsen the symptoms of dementia. "Dr Noll Campbell, a collaborator and co-author on the paper, said: "These results suggest we should prioritise safer alternatives to anticholinergic medications long before symptoms of dementia are recognised." LONDON, ONT. This website does not provide, and should not be used for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. "Doctors and patients should therefore be vigilant about using anticholinergic medications. "We don't know exactly how anticholinergics might cause dementia. "This study shows that some anticholinergics may cause long-term harm in addition to short-term harm. More than 27 million prescriptions were analysed.This is the largest and most detailed study of its kind into the long-term impact of anticholinergic use in relation to dementia.The team drilled down to see whether there were links between different classes of anticholinergic medication and incidence of dementia diagnosis.They found that there was a greater incidence of dementia among patients prescribed greater quantities of anticholinergic antidepressants, and anticholinergic medication for bladder conditions and Parkinson's.The link between these medications and dementia cannot tell us that they are directly causing the condition, but this work does suggests a potential preventative approach to reduce dementia which is a priority.The study concludes that clinicians should consider long-term anti-cholinergic effects when prescribing.Patients with concerns should continue taking their medicines until they have consulted their doctor or pharmacist.Lead researcher Dr George Savva from UEA's School of Health Sciences said: "More than 50 million people worldwide are affected by dementia and this number is estimated to be 132 million by 2050. The data is broadly representative of the UK population in terms of age, sex and ethnicity.Prof Chris Fox, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at UEA's Norwich Medical School and Consultant Psychiatrist, said: "While the associations are moderate, given the high incidence of dementia, they reflect a potentially important risk to patients. ScienceDaily. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists need to work with older people and their carers to ensure that they only take medication if the benefits clearly outweigh the harms.
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