Use Of Common Medicines Linked To Decline In Mental Health Of Old People

As people grow old, they become dependent on common medications to help ease the symptoms and ailments normally associated with aging. However, some precautions may have to be practiced as a number of researchers showed that the use of these medications may be a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease later in life.

In a study published in the journal Neurology Wednesday, entitled, 'Association of Anticholinergic Medication and AD Biomarkers with the Incidence of MCI among Cognitively Normal Older Adults,' researchers found that a certain class of drugs that are used in treating common ailments like colds and allergies, even those for depression and high blood pressure, may have an adverse effect in terms of developing memory problems and mild thinking issues, in those individuals who have markers for Alzheimer's disease or who have family members already suffering from it.

The drugs that researchers identified are called anticholinergic drugs. They are used to treat urinary incontinence, motion sickness, overactive bladder, high blood pressure, and also Parkinson's disease. There are nearly 100 drugs that belong to this group. Some of them require a prescription from doctors, while others could be bought over-the-counter.

The researchers analyzed 688 individuals with an average age of 74. At the start of the study, they had no memory or thinking problems. They were then monitored for up to 10 years and the participants reported their drug intake. They were asked to take a cognitive test every year until the 10th year.

Lisa Delano-Wood, lead researcher from the University of California, along with a number of researchers, noted that one-third of the participants reported regularly taking anticholinergic drugs for more than half a year. They found that the number of these drugs that a person takes on the average is five.

The researchers found that in a span of 10 years, those who took anticholinergic drugs had a higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment. Over 51% developed the condition, as compared to the 42% who were not taking them. The researchers were able to determine this using the yearly cognitive tests that they take.

Delano-Wood and the other researchers also factored in other variables such as the participants' education, heart disease history, stroke, and genetic risk. Even after considering these factors, those who were on anticholinergics still had a 47% risk of developing milk impairment.

Heather Snyder, Alzheimer's Association's vice president of medical and scientific relations, who was not involved in the study told U.S. News & World Report that the results do not prove that these anticholinergic drugs should be blamed for the disease. It shows a certain association in a specific group of individuals but she said that it does not prove causation.