Assessing the health implications of anticholinergic drugs in older people
In this narrative review, we analyzed the existing literature on the pros and cons of anticholinergic medications, focusing on their prevalence, underlying mechanisms, and methods of assessment. Our review underscores the significant adverse effects of anticholinergic drugs, particularly on cogniti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PAGEPress Publications
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Geriatric Care |
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| Online Access: | https://www.pagepressjournals.org/gc/article/view/13311 |
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| author | Mariangela Boccardi Virginia Boccardi |
| author_facet | Mariangela Boccardi Virginia Boccardi |
| author_sort | Mariangela Boccardi |
| collection | DOAJ |
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In this narrative review, we analyzed the existing literature on the pros and cons of anticholinergic medications, focusing on their prevalence, underlying mechanisms, and methods of assessment. Our review underscores the significant adverse effects of anticholinergic drugs, particularly on cognition and functional abilities in older adults. These effects include the exacerbation of various cognitive states, increased psychiatric symptoms, heightened risk of delirium, functional decline, elevated hospitalization rates, greater likelihood of institutionalization, and increased mortality. While anticholinergic medications provide therapeutic benefits, their use in older adults requires careful evaluation due to these considerable risks. Discontinuation of anticholinergic therapy offers both benefits and challenges. We propose practical guidelines for their use in clinical contexts such as dementia, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular conditions, and urinary incontinence.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-06e475793eb8453a84c7d9dc57ff1d0b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2465-1109 2465-1397 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | PAGEPress Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geriatric Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-06e475793eb8453a84c7d9dc57ff1d0b2025-01-23T10:55:54ZengPAGEPress PublicationsGeriatric Care2465-11092465-13972025-01-0111110.4081/gc.2025.13311Assessing the health implications of anticholinergic drugs in older peopleMariangela Boccardi0Virginia Boccardi1Laboratory of Translational and Molecular Psychiatry, Section of Psychiatry, Unit of Treatment-Resistant Psychosis, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University Medical School of Naples “Federico II”Division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia In this narrative review, we analyzed the existing literature on the pros and cons of anticholinergic medications, focusing on their prevalence, underlying mechanisms, and methods of assessment. Our review underscores the significant adverse effects of anticholinergic drugs, particularly on cognition and functional abilities in older adults. These effects include the exacerbation of various cognitive states, increased psychiatric symptoms, heightened risk of delirium, functional decline, elevated hospitalization rates, greater likelihood of institutionalization, and increased mortality. While anticholinergic medications provide therapeutic benefits, their use in older adults requires careful evaluation due to these considerable risks. Discontinuation of anticholinergic therapy offers both benefits and challenges. We propose practical guidelines for their use in clinical contexts such as dementia, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular conditions, and urinary incontinence. https://www.pagepressjournals.org/gc/article/view/13311Agingcognitiondrugsgeriatricsolderpsychiatry |
| spellingShingle | Mariangela Boccardi Virginia Boccardi Assessing the health implications of anticholinergic drugs in older people Geriatric Care Aging cognition drugs geriatrics older psychiatry |
| title | Assessing the health implications of anticholinergic drugs in older people |
| title_full | Assessing the health implications of anticholinergic drugs in older people |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the health implications of anticholinergic drugs in older people |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the health implications of anticholinergic drugs in older people |
| title_short | Assessing the health implications of anticholinergic drugs in older people |
| title_sort | assessing the health implications of anticholinergic drugs in older people |
| topic | Aging cognition drugs geriatrics older psychiatry |
| url | https://www.pagepressjournals.org/gc/article/view/13311 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariangelaboccardi assessingthehealthimplicationsofanticholinergicdrugsinolderpeople AT virginiaboccardi assessingthehealthimplicationsofanticholinergicdrugsinolderpeople |