Dementia risk may be linked to some anticholinergic medications

In one of the largest and most detailed study of its kind, researchers from the University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK) have revealed that long-term use of some anticholinergic medications could be associated with an increased risk of dementia – even when taken up to 20 years before a diagnosis. The research, which was recently published in the BMJ, was funded by the Alzheimer’s Society (London, UK) and indicates that dementia risk is associated with medications prescribed for bladder conditions (e.g., tolterodine, oxybutynin and solifenacin) and Parkinson’s disease (e.g., procyclidine). Several other anticholinergic medications, including antihistamines and those used for...